Arrested and Abstracted Development: A Species at the Crossroads Pre-publication Weekly Chapter Excerpts

Chapter 2: Initial Conditions and Early Human Responses Chapter 2 explains how early humans, facing an unfamiliar and constantly changing world without mental skills or a sense of self, responded to experience through first impressions, projection, and trial and error behaviour. Human development began at the dawn of consciousness, when early humans faced an unexplained, constantly changing world without any mental framework for understanding experience. Humans confronted a world they could not interpret and, lacking mental skills or a sense of self, projected their inner experience outward, imagined external forces to explain their feelings, and sought identity, order, and stability outside the mind. These early responses formed four foundational assumptions that shaped the entire historical path of human development: • Managing existence through the collective — defining identity and guidance outside the individual. • Conceptualizing existence in the abstract — creating speculative images beyond experience. • Establishing order and stability externally — relying on external structures for clarity and certainty. • Managing existence by controlling external conditions — acting on the world to cope with inner mental demands. These assumptions became embedded in cultural, social, religious, economic, scientific, and technological development. Cultural systems reinforced them, transmitting externalized frameworks rather than developing individual mental faculties. Though originally trial and error coping mechanisms, they hardened into the long historical path of human development and now contradict natural mental conditions, generating persistent mental, social, and environmental crises.

Arrested and Abstracted Development: A Species at the Crossroads Pre-publication Weekly Excerpts

Chapters Overview The Chapters Overview presents the structure and progression of the work Arrested and Abstracted Development, showing how each chapter builds toward a comprehensive understanding of human existence grounded in natural conditions rather than socio cultural abstractions. Chapter 1: Natural Conditions of Existence, Mind and Mental Existence The chapter establishes the conceptual foundation by examining the natural conditions of human existence, especially the mind—the locus of conscious experience, understanding, choice and action. It outlines the nature, elements, needs, and challenges of mental existence, as well as the lifelong process of conceptual and mental development required to manage life within changing natural conditions. The chapter establishes a foundational distinction between natural conditions of existence, which are universal and beyond human control, and human created socio cultural conditions, which must be corrected when they contradict nature. The chapter begins by outlining the natural conditions of human existence. Human existence unfolds in a constantly changing natural world, and the mind is the central place where we experience these conditions, make choices, and organize action. Because experiences enter automatically and mental powers develop only through sustained effort, clarity, stability, and understanding must be deliberately constructed by forming accurate mental images, meeting natural mental needs, and continually updating our grasp of reality. Managing human life therefore means managing the mind—developing natural abilities, making sense of experience, and interacting with others who each construct their own understanding independently.

Arrested and Abstracted Development: A Species at the Crossroads

Pre-publication Weekly Excerpts "Arrested and Abstracted Development" provides the conceptual foundation of the IHCMD Project: making the 21st century the century of the mind and mental development. It addresses the escalating global mental, social, and environmental issues and crises. It aims to understand and manage human existence and development in sustainable, equitable, secure, and peaceful ways, under changing conditions, within natural parameters. The goal of the advanced excerpts is to spark public debate, advocate for, promote, and facilitate the necessary change and transformation. A public discussion forum will be announced at a later date. Core Thesis Modern civilization has mastered the physical world while neglecting the one realm that determines everything we think, do, and create: the mind. As a result, scientific technological culture now generates crises—ecological, social, political, psychological—that it can no longer resolve. Its demands exceed nature’s regenerative limits and the human mind’s capacity to understand or manage them. This book reveals the deeper cause behind today’s accelerating instability: an arrested and abstracted path of human conceptual and mental development. Across history, humanity has built powerful external systems while failing to understand the natural conditions of human existence and the inner mental life that reflects them. To sustain human life in a changing natural universe, we must shift the focus of development inward—toward the mental faculties, powers, and practices required to manage existence within natural limits. This work outlines that shift and the new foundation it makes possible. Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Natural Conditions of Existence, Mind and Mental Existence • Natural Conditions of Human Existence • Human Mind and Mental Existence • Human Understanding • Managing Human Mental Existence • Fundamental Challenge of Human Existence Chapter 2: Initial Conditions and Early Human Responses • Nature of Human Development • Culture and Cultural Development and Change • Beginnings of Human Development / Dawn of Human Consciousness • Fundamental Assumptions, Approaches and Practices • Central Elements of Human Development • Limits, Shortcomings and Contradictions • Results and Consequences Chapter 3: Historical Path and Direction of Human Development • Historical Path and Periods • Early Beginnings • Human Development Chapter 4: Scientific Culture • Conceptual Framework • Approaches and Practices • Sustaining and Improving Human Existence • Chapter 5: Limits, Shortcomings, Results and Consequences of Scientific Culture • Conceptual Framework • Approaches and Practices Chapter 6: Conditions and Developments at the Turn of the 21st Century • Limits / Problems of Scientific Culture and the Historical Path • Shifting Primary Focus • Unsustainable Path of Development Chapter 7: Traditional Analyses and Responses • Historical Development of Science, Scientific Knowledge, Methods and Practices • Problems, Limits and Shortcomings of Scientific Knowledge and Understanding • Mental Problems, Disorder, Instability and Insecurity • Social Problems, Disorder, Instability and Uncertainty • Environmental Problems Chapter 8: Beyond Scientific Culture • Nature, Causes, Development of Problems and Difficulties • Direction of the Answers and Solutions • In Concrete Practice • Integrating Answers and Solutions into Existing Socio Cultural Reality and Practice Chapter 9: Looking Ahead: Potential and Possibilities • Understanding and Managing Human Existence and Development • Social Existence and Development • Economic Material Development • Scientific and Technological Development • Dealing with Nature and the Natural Environment Appendix A: Background Research and Study References

Arrested and Abstracted Development - Table of Contents

Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Natural Conditions of Existence, Mind and Mental Existence Chapter 2: Initial Conditions and Early Human Responses Chapter 3: Historical Path and Direction of Human Development Chapter 4: Scientific Culture Chapter 5: Limits, Results and Consequences of Scientific Culture Chapter 6: Conditions and Developments at the Turn of the 21st Century Chapter 7: Traditional Analyses and Responses Chapter 8: Beyond Scientific Culture Chapter 9: Looking Ahead: Potential and Possibilities Appendix: Background Research and Study References

What Individually We Cand Do Today, Dealing With The Global Problems We Face

Setting the Conceptual Context

To consider and understand what we can do individually today dealing with the global problems we face, we must first set the stage. We need to establish some clarity of mind and understanding about the problems we face, and how as a species we got to where we find ourselves today and the problems we create. We have to establish a framework of understanding within which to consider what individually we can do.

To this end, we first need to distinguish and differentiate between symptoms, results and consequences, on the one hand, and root-causes and underlying developments, on the other hand. We also need to distinguish and differentiate between instant relief, short and medium-term answers and solutions addressing symptoms, results and consequences, and long-term development, change and transformation addressing root-causes and underlying developments.

The global problems we face today -- persisting and growing cultural, religious, racial, political, social, economic-financial, environmental, interpersonal and individual problems, difficulties and crises, competition, conflict, confrontation and violence, and associated problematic, negative, harmful and destructive results and consequences. They are only symptoms, results and consequences.

We are the causes. Human behaviour and actions are the causes. Specifically, how we understand and manage existence and development are the causes and underlying developments. More to the point, the causes are what lies behind, defines and governs human behaviour and actions, how we understand and manage human existence and development, the choices and decisions we make, the aims, goals and objectives we pursue.

In their essence, the causes are rooted in what takes place and what we do in the mind and mental existence. The experiences, perceptions, sensations, feelings and emotions, thoughts, ideas and notions that enter the mind and our awareness, how we deal with, respond and adjust to them. How we make sense of them and the conditions that lie behind them, and the sense we make of them, and how to deal with them. The causes lie in the beliefs, views, values, conventions and practices we embrace and rely on, and how we acquire, develop and use them. The choices and decisions we make, and how we make them, the aims, goals and objectives we pursue, and how we define them, the behaviour, actions and practices in which we engage, and how we consider, plan, organize and manage them.

Traditionally, throughout history, in dealing with problems and difficulties the focus and concentration has always been instant relief, instant fixes, short and medium-term answers and solutions addressing symptoms, results and consequences, while failing to address the root-causes and underlying developments. Traditionally and today, we abrogate responsibility for ourselves individually, our behaviour and actions, how we understand and manage our existence and development, particularly what takes place, what we do and need to do in the mind and mental existence. In religious culture, individual responsibility is abrogated to supernatural forces, spirits and gods. In scientific culture, we abrogate responsibility for ourselves individually to nature, natural forces, processes and developments, the brain, neurological processes, our genetic makeup and natural evolution. On a daily and more general level, we abrogate individual responsibility to culture, society, government, family, parents, superiors, experts, specialists, and so on. Holding them responsible for the behaviour and actions in which we engage, the choices and decisions we make, the aims, goals and objectives we pursue.

It is this approach of dealing with problems and difficulties, which has brought to human species to where we find ourselves today, and the problems and difficulties we face globally. Addressing only symptoms, results and consequences, while failing to deal with root-causes and underlying developments, is leading to creating persisting and growing problems, difficulties and crises, competition, conflict, confrontation and violence, and associated problematic, negative, harmful and destructive results and consequences. The way we understand and manage existence and development, the conditions, demands and challenges of existence, our own mental and physical existence and development and the world around us contradicts, conflicts with and falls short of the natural conditions, demands and challenges of existence. Leading to the problems – persisting and growing cultural, religious, racial, political, social, economic-financial, environmental, interpersonal and individual problems, difficulties and crises, competition, conflict, confrontation and violence, and associated problematic, negative, harmful and destructive results and consequences, we face locally and globally around the world today.

Today, because of this approach and way of understanding and managing existence and development, and dealing with problems and difficulties, failing to address the root-causes and underlying developments, we are in the process of destroying the very foundation of our existence, the natural environment. We are bringing about changes in nature and natural developments, which in the long-term will render the natural environment of the Earth uninhabitable for the human species. Exploiting natural resources beyond actual human material needs, and degrading and interfering in nature, natural forces, processes and developments beyond what is required to manage and sustain human existence and development.

(For a discussion about the specific limits, shortcomings and contradictions of how we view, understand, organize and manage existence and development, leading to the global problems we face today, you can go to http://ihcmd.org. On the right-hand side, under the heading Lecture Presentations, you find ten, one-hour lecture presentations, in both PowerPoint and PDF format. Discussing the nature and causes of the problems we face, how as a species we got to where we find ourselves today, and the direction of the answers and solutions, the direction we need to take in conceptual and mental development and growth.)


Nature And Direction Of The Answers And Solutions

To deal with the global problems we face requires more than instant relief, quick fixes, short and medium-term answers and solutions addressing symptoms, results and consequences, while waiting until a later date to address the root-causes and underlying developments. What is required is to address symptoms, results and consequences within the context of dealing with root-causes and underlying developments, dealing with both of them at the same time, simultaneously. We must address the symptoms, results and consequences within the context of changing how we understand and manage existence and development, particularly how we understand and manage the mind and mental existence, what takes place, what we do and need to do, what we must establish, develop and maintain in the mind and mental existence.

Addressing the symptoms, results and consequences must take place within and contribute to long-term development, change and transformation addressing the root-causes and underlying developments, changing how we understand and manage existence and development, and not detract from it. Short and medium-term answers and solutions addressing symptoms, results and consequences will provide the time required for the long-term development, change and transformation of addressing the root-causes and underlying developments. The long-term development, change and transformation addressing the root-causes and underlying developments, in turn, is to provide the nature and direction of dealing with the symptom, results and consequences.


What We Can Do Individually

Within this context, what we can do individually today is quite simple and straightforward. Exercise and practice daily:

· Consume less, buy less, and waste less.

· Make fewer demands, looking for causes, answers and solutions to others and the world around us. Instead, look first to yourself.

· Be more actively engaged in understanding and managing ourselves, our own life and existence, our mental and physical health and well-being, order and stability, development and growth.

· Pay closer attention, keep track of, and take responsibility for what we do, what we engage in, and how we do things.

· Pay closer attention, keep track of, and take responsibility for the beliefs, views, values and understanding we embrace and rely on, and how we acquire, develop and use them. The choices and decisions we make, and how we make them, the aims, goals and objectives we pursue, and how we define them, the behaviour, actions and practices in which we engage, and how we consider, plan, organize and manage them.

· Pay closer attention, keep track of, and take responsibility for what takes place and what we do in the mind and our mental existence. The experiences, perceptions, sensations, feelings and emotions, the thoughts, ideas and notions that enter our mind and awareness, and how we deal with them. How we deal with, respond and adjust to them, how we make sense of them and the conditions that lie behind them, and the sense we make of them and how to deal with them. The mental behaviour and actions in which we engage, and how we consider, plan, organize and manage them.

· Establish and maintain the necessary internal mental conditions, a sense of self, mental order and stability, clarity of mind and understanding, a sense of certainty, security and confidence, in everything we do and we engage in, before acting, before engaging and dealing with external conditions, with others and the world around us.

Working our way down the list, from the top to the bottoms. When we arrive at the bottom of the list, we will have made a major contribution, not only to address the symptoms, results and consequences, but to address the root-causes and underlying developments behind the global problems we face. In addition, we will have reached a level of individual development and growth to lead other, by example.


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My Genome, Not My Self

In a recent article, My Genome, My Self, (The New York Times Magazine, January 11, 2009, page MM24, (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/magazine/11Genome-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all) Steven Pinker (professor of psychology and cognitive science at Harvard University) argues, the Personal Genome Project (PGP), the mapping of an our genome, our genetic map provides insights into both our biological and psychological make up. Our genome, Pinker writes, offers insights into questions of who we are - ancestry, vulnerabilities, character and choices. Genes are predictors not only of our medical and physical, but also of our behavioral traits. Genes define our essential nature or essence, and they contain information regarding ancestry, but also about temperament and abilities. For Pinker, the shapers of a person are "nature, nurture and brute chance," the brute chance of 'gene modification, random noise, or genetic roulette,' although "no one knows what the nongenetic causes of individuality are."

Leaving aside our physical characteristics, which indeed are defined by our genetic make up, Pinker argues, that our psychological or mental characteristics also are defined by our genes. For Pinker, we essentially are hardwired in our mental characteristics, mental faculties, behaviour and actions, how we respond and deal with the conditions, demands and challenges of existence, and changes in them. We are hardwired in our individuality and personality, in what we do in the mind and mental existence, in our mental behaviour and actions, and resulting outward or overt behaviour and actions. We are hardwired, Pinker writes, in intelligence, school and job performance, marital stability, openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, antagonism, neuroticism, personality, religiosity, political orientation, television watching or cigarette smoking. For Pinker they are defined and governed by our genome, our genetic make up. The genetic conditioning of our individuality and personality, individual behaviour, actions, how we conduct ourselves is acted out by our brain and its neurological structure.

The position and view Pinker presents in the article is a limited, antiquated, false and quite misleading view and understanding of what defines and governs who we are, our individuality and personality, our behaviour, actions, and how we conduct ourselves. It is a view and understanding that fails to understand the mind and mental existence from the inside, as the place where we consciously exist and act. It equates what takes place and what we do in the mind and mental existence with the brain, its neurological structure and processes. It is a view and understanding of the mind and mental existence that does not reflect reality, as we know it, which individually we experience and of which we are aware.

Pinker ignores and fails to understand what takes place and what we do in the mind and mental existence, the mental behaviour and actions in which we engage. How we respond and deal with the conditions, demands and challenges of existence, change and changing conditions. What defines our individuality, what makes us who we are, beside our physical features and make up, is how we behave and act, how we deal with, respond and adjust to the conditions, demands and challenges, change and changing conditions, in our own mental and physical development and in the world around us. To understand our individuality and personality, what makes us the individual we are, our behaviour and actions, how and why we behave and act in the way we do, we need to understand ourselves from the inside, from inside the mind and mental existence, where we consciously exist and act.

Pinker fails to distinguish and differentiate between the mind and the brain. They are two distinct and separate elements of our existence.

The mind is where we consciously exist and act. It is where we experience, become aware, and where we must consider the conditions of existence, our own mental and physical existence and the world around us, and how to deal with them. The mind is where individually we are in charge and in control, where we must actively be engaged and take responsibility for what takes place and what we do. It is where we make choices and decisions, where we define aims, goals and objectives, and where we must consider, plan, organize and manage our behaviour and actions. The mind and mental existence is where we exercise our mental faculties, mental powers and abilities.

What takes place and what we do in the mind define and govern how we view, understand, manage and conduct ourselves individually, how we connect, communicate and cooperate with each other, and how we relate and interact with the world around us. It defines and governs how we behave and act, how we deal with, respond and adjust to the conditions, demands and challenges of existence, change and changing conditions. The mind and mental existence is where problems and difficulties, errors and mistakes have their roots and beginnings, and where answers and solutions must start.

To understand ourselves individually, individual behaviour, actions and how we conduct ourselves we need to understand the mind and mental existence, what takes place, what we do, and what we need to do, what we must establish, develop and maintain in the mind and mental existence from the inside. They cannot be understood from the outside through observing outward behaviour and actions, as is the case with psychology. Neither can we understand what takes place and what we do in the mind and mental existence through studying the physical-biological roots and foundation or the genetic-neurological systems and processes that lie behind the mind and mental existence, as the "sciences of the mind" - cognitive science, neuroscience, behavioral genetics and evolutionary psychology attempt to do.

The human brain is the "muscle" of our mind and mental existence, metaphorically speaking. Our muscles give us our physical faculties, the power and ability of movement to engage in physical action and activity, which we can translate into specific physical skills and practices, such as walking, tap dancing, rock climbing, playing instruments, operating machinery, doing brain surgery, etc.

The basic structure of our muscles develops naturally, but to use the potential of our muscles for physical movement we must develop them. A basic level of our physical faculty of movement can be developed without much effort. Developing fully our potential for movement, and translating it into specific physical skills and practices requires conscious and deliberate work and effort, exercise and practice. Learning how to walk is relatively easy. Learning how to tap dance, being a violin virtuoso or to use our fingers to do brain surgery requires focus and concentration, work and effort, exercise and practice.

Developing, exercising and practicing our physical faculties, powers and abilities builds muscle fiber. Without physical activity, not using our physical faculties of movement our muscles will atrophy. The muscles will shrink and we loose the physical power and ability of movement they provide.

When exercising and practicing our physical faculties we activate the respective muscle. However, it is not the muscle or its activity that defines, governs or drives the physical actions or activity in which we engage. (A situation where the muscle defines, governs and drives our physical actions is what we refer to as being spastic, having lost control of our muscles.) Exercising our physical powers and abilities, practicing given physical skills and practices is the result of choices and decisions we make, despite the fact that at times we may not pay attention or keep track of what we do or engage in. Our muscles are the physical-biological foundation of our physical faculties, powers and abilities, but they do not define or govern when, how or why, for what purpose or to what end we use them.

The brain and its neurological structure are the physical-biological foundation of our mental powers and abilities. But, as with the case of our physical faculties, our mental faculties, powers and abilities do not develop on their own. The basic neurological structure, the foundation of our mental powers and abilities develops naturally. Our mental faculties, our natural mental powers and abilities we must develop before we can use them. Again, a basic level of our mental faculties can be developed without much focus and concentration. Fully developing our mental potential requires conscious and deliberate mental work and effort, exercise and practice.

Translating our natural mental powers and abilities into specific mental skills and practices, such as mathematics, language, paying attention and keeping track of what is taking place and what we do in the mind and mental existence, establishing clarity of mind and understanding requires conscious and deliberate mental work and effort, exercise and practice. Considering issues, experiences, situations and conditions and how to deal with them at some length, in depth and detail, establishing clarity of mind and understanding, establishing mental order and stability, certainty, security and confidence are choices and decisions we make. Developing, exercising and practicing our mental powers and abilities and translating them into specific mental skills and practices leads to the further development of the neurological structure and connections in the brain. A lack of mental activity, not using our mental powers and abilities, not engaging in mental work and effort the neurological structure of the brain will atrophy and shrink, and we loose the mental faculties, powers and abilities it provides.

When we use given mental powers and abilities, practice particular mental skills and practices, engage in mental work and effort, it activates the underlying part of the neurological structure of the brain. However, this does not mean the neurological structure or the brain define or govern when, how or why, for what purpose or to what end we use our mental powers and abilities, mental skills and practices. What we do in the mind, the mental behaviour and actions in which we engage are defined and governed by us. They are defined and governed by the choices and decisions we make, the aims, goals or objectives we pursue and what we try to accomplish.

Within this context, MRI and fMRI scans showing activity in particular regions of the neurological structure of the brain indicate an association with given mental activities. However, they do not explain how or why, for what purpose or to what end given mental powers and abilities, mental skills and practices are used. Moreover, they do not explain the degree to which particular mental powers and abilities, mental skills and practices have been developed, or how they have been developed. What we do in the mind and mental existence, the mental behaviour and actions, mental work and effort in which we engage are defined and governed by the choices and decisions we make. They are defined and governed by how we choose and decide to deal with, respond and adjust to what enters the mind and awareness, experiences, perceptions, sensations, feelings, thoughts and ideas, and the conditions that lie behind them.

Moreover, MRI or fMRI scans cannot tell us what mental faculties, mental powers and abilities we possess, how to develop and use them, or how to translate them into necessary and appropriate mental skills and practices. However, how we understand, manage and deal with the conditions, demands and challenges of the mind and mental existence, how we understand and meet our mental needs depends on the level to which we develop our mental faculties and translate them into the necessary and appropriate mental skills and practices. The choices and decisions we make and how we make them, the aims, goals and objectives we pursue and how we define them, the behaviour and actions in which we engage, how we consider, plan and organize them also depend on the level to which we have developed and use our mental faculties.

MRI and fMRI scans and knowledge of the neurological structure and workings of the brain cannot tell us how to make sense of our experience, the perceptions, sensations and feelings that enter the mind and awareness, the conditions that lie behind them, or how to deal with them. They cannot tell us about our role and responsibility in the mind and mental existence that by nature are individually ours to understand and manage, or how to manage them. They cannot tell us about problems and difficulties, limits and shortcomings, errors and mistakes in what we do, what we need to do, what we must establish, develop and maintain in the mind and mental existence, or how to deal with them. This can be understood only from within the mind and mental existence. We need to understand and manage the mind and mental existence from the inside. Failing to do so, failing to understand and manage the mind, mental existence and mental development from the inside, leads to mental problems and difficulties - mental disorder and instability, doubt, confusion, uncertainty and insecurity, feelings of fear, stress, anxiety, frustration, helplessness, depression, and even suicide. Problems and difficulties that are viewed traditionally as mental illness, rooted in the neurological structure of the brain, our genetic make up, or caused by external conditions and forces.

Advancing the Obama Challenge

Obama has issued a challenge not only to Americans, but to the whole world, to every individual around the world. He has issued a challenge of development, change and transformation dealing with the problems we face locally and globally around the world today, beyond fixing the current global financial and economic crisis, not only from the top down, but from the bottom up, beyond partisan politics and special interests. Government alone cannot solve all problems and cannot do everything for us. It is up to us individually. What is required is greater individual engagement, individual responsibility and accountability, in all walks of life, at all levels and in all sectors of society, in all areas of human activity, everywhere, with every individual.

The Institute for Human Conceptual and Mental Development (IHCMD) is launching an initiative to advance the Obama challenge. You are invited - individuals, groups and organizations from all walks of life, all levels and sectors of society and areas of human activity, from around the world - to join, participate and organize around advocating, promoting and facilitating greater individual engagement, individual responsibility and accountability. Articulate and set out - research, study and develop the fundamentals and essentials, the knowledge and understanding, the action, skills and practices, the steps, details and specifics required to move beyond fear, doubt, confusion, uncertainty and insecurity, and understand and manage existence and development in sustainable, secure and peaceful ways. Advocate, promote and facilitate the development of greater individual engagement, responsibility and accountability, in all walks of life, at all levels and in all sectors of society, in all areas of human activity, in government, business, education and training, in public and private life, in family, community and society, with every individual.

You are invited to join, participate and make a difference. Your input and participation are required. You can make a difference. To join and participate contact Dr. Axel Dorscht, at a.dorscht_at_ihcmd.org, Institute for Human Conceptual and Mental Development (IHCMD), http://www.ihcmd.org.