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domenica 30 settembre 2012

Spiritualità: un percorso tra dignità ed etica

                              
                              Introduzione
 
 
Pronti a fare un tuffo, un’immersione nelle profondità della spiritualità, alla ricerca di tesori dimenticati e di fondali inesplorati? Inizia ora la terza avventura la più impegnativa e affascinante. Dopo aver esplorato gli oceani della creatività e dell’operosità, Dimensione Uomo ci porta a scandagliare le tematiche relative alla spiritualità e alla religiosità. Questo testo non vuole essere un trattato e nemmeno un enciclopedia, più semplicemente uno stimolo a riscoprire la ricerca interiore, con spirito di libertà e di verità. Ha la speranza di essere uno stimolo, un faro ed una bussola che siano di aiuto nella ricerca della rotta, in mezzo alle tempeste della vita. Non un manuale quindi, ma un insieme di riflessioni che stimolino a risvegliare la curiosità nei confronti della ricerca interiore.
Non ho la presunzione di indicare soluzioni valide per tutti, l’unico consiglio che mi sento di dare è che ognuno compia la ricerca difendendo la sua libertà di coscienza, lottando contro l’omologazione culturale e i condizionamenti sociali. L’obiettivo sarà quello di affermare la sua autentica e inimitabile individualità, diventare una persona completa, pienamente realizzata nella propria dimensione creativa, lavorativa e spirituale.
Questo è il porto verso cui navigare, per lasciare un segno indelebile nel mare della vita.
Il primo approdo è nel porto di una città dell’antichità classica, immersa in un’atmosfera di quiete; ci accolgono parlando dell’importanza della spiritualità nella vita dell’uomo. Affrontiamo una discussione sul velo che oscura, sulla genesi della spiritualità, sui percorsi della spiritualità e come favorirli, sulla legge morale, sulla coerenza di vita, sulla saggezza, sull’importanza della pace e sulla spiritualità nelle varie età della vita.
Un po’ frastornati, riprendiamo il viaggio facendo un periplo del mondo della spiritualità. Una circumnavigazione che partendo dall’India tocca la Cina, il Giappone, l’America latina, l’Occidente e l’Oriente.
Ancorati in una laguna che favorisce la meditazione, analizziamo il sistema di valori che dà solidità alla spiritualità. Riusciamo a scorgere la dignità, l’etica, l’amore, l’empatia, la socialità, la giustizia, la fraternità, il rispetto e la pazienza.
Scesi a terra visitiamo i laboratori nei quali si svolgono le ricerche sulle basi neurologiche della coscienza. È il capitolo quarto, nel quale si parla di scienza e coscienza, in particolare di fisiologia e psiche, delle associazioni temporanee di neuroni, dei marcatori somatici, della teoria dell’informazione integrata, del mondo invisibile, di psicanalisi e inconscio, di filosofia sperimentale.
Il viaggio riprende sulle ali dei rapporti tra coscienza e fede. I temi affrontati sono quelli della ricerca spirituale e religiosa, della possibilità che esista una legge morale comune a tutti gli uomini e una regola d’oro spirituale comune a tutte le religioni, della fede che incontra la coscienza, della libertà umana di ricerca e di scelta, della determinazione di continuare a cercare la verità, della religiosità come ricerca di un’etica universale, di come si completano e si ricongiungono spiritualità e religiosità, del comandamento dell’amore, dell’incontro tra Dio e uomo.
Saliti su una navicella spaziale ci proiettiamo nel futuro domandandoci: Quale uomo domani?
Una domanda globale che affronta le tematiche del futuro: Intelligenze artificiali, Nuove frontiere della coscienza, Il sogno dell’immortalità, Esistono limiti morali insuperabili per la ricerca scientifica?, Esistono altri pianeti abitati da esseri intelligenti?, Visioni fantascientifiche, Megalopoli a misura d’uomo, L’integralismo religioso, Il dialogo interculturale, L’utopia di un mondo dove regna la pace, la giustizia e l’amore.
Il viaggio termina con una panoramica sul pensiero di alcuni esempi di spiritualità religiosa e laica: Confucio, Socrate, Gesù di Nazareth, Maometto e Gandhi.
La speranza è che questo libro sia utile per aiutare nella ricerca interiore, con libertà e spirito di verità, con il timone che dirige la rotta verso la conoscenza, la sapienza e la spiritualità.

martedì 11 settembre 2012

Creativity Introduction


Speaking of Creativity is entering in a study which hasn't well-defined boundaries but covers all fields in which man works with an innovative spirit. In this sense it ranges from the arts to the emotional field, from the sciences to the social sciences.

Creativity is in all of us, everyone has talent and potential that should be brought to light, be brought forth and be helped to yield.

Creativity cannot be reduced to a mere exercise in style, you have to make sure that this creativity is free to advance into paths of the soul, and to look for the symbolism, allegory, inner beauty. Therefore it cannot be arid technicality, but that particular flame that lights up day by day through study, passion and practice. Creativity thus becomes way of life, pleasure, passion, challenge, in a constant search for new, hermeneutics of the soul.

My starting point were three books given to me long ago and that inspired me the desire to overcome all that is not necessary, and to open up to unexplored horizons in search of the new and of the unexpected.

These books are, in order of time, The Little Prince by Antoine Saint-Exupery, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, and The Human Brain by Isaac Asimov.

But, to be honest, my path has always been characterized by the pleasure of exploring and learning, although until now I never had the courage to make them the subject of research and sharing.

Let us start doing an overview of the topics that will be the focus of our journey into Creativity.

The first chapter is devoted to the definition of creativity, how it works, its paths and how we can promote them, its importance in human life and a look at its possible future developments.

The second chapter discusses the components of creativity and activities that promote: study, memory, imagination, research and experimentation, abstraction, planning, proper use of the five senses, intuition and inspiration, the synthesis and the invention, brilliance, sensitivity, self-awareness, empathy, humour, and spirituality, always present in every aspect of life.

The third chapter begins to outline the field in which creativity is dedicated to the social sciences: politics, economics, law, history, philosophy, linguistics, and marketing.

The fourth chapter is all about scientific creativity, in particular deals with: mathematics, architecture and engineering, medicine, psychology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology, ecology, information technology.

The fifth chapter focuses on the emotional creativity, and it talks of spirituality, friendship, love, family.

The next chapter deals with issues of artistic creativity: literature, poetry, music, painting, sculpture, design, fashion, theatre, film and dance.

In the seventh chapter we talk about education for creativity, including: creative literacy, personalized teaching, emotional training.

In chapter eight twelve recommendations are proposed to enrich the creativity that is within us. These proposals range to 360 degrees, and have as their objective the acquisition of self-confidence and the disposition to do our best.
 
The ninth chapter provides some examples of creativity and spirituality of different ages and cultures. Examples of persons working in different ways and in different fields, who have left an indelible mark on human history.

The tenth chapter focuses on some of the most significant challenges that human beings will have to face in the next future.

The concluding remarks try to answer the question: for what purpose should we improve our creativity?

The discussion of the above individual topics is not meant to be exhaustive, obviously, but aims to stimulate the curiosity and the desire to deepen the issues addressed. Research and study are the first step towards innovation and creativity. If that happens, I would be sure to be able to perform the task which I proposed.

A big thank to all of you who have the desire and patience to read these pages.

(Tratto dal libro Creatività: capirla, risvegliarla, valorizzarla.)
 
La traduzione è stata curata da Fiamma Fanni che ringrazio per la disponibilità e la meticolosità. 

 

 

domenica 2 settembre 2012

How creativity springs up from deep inside

                      One sees rightly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. [1]
 
Creativity is an innate ability that everyone has within himself. It is a gift that has been offered by   nature and by our chromosomes. Everyone has some peculiarities that lead him to engage in a particular form of creativity. Some people have the gift of a musical ear, others have a beautiful voice, some people excel in math or in language, others have a passion for design, yet others delight the palates inventing new recipes. We can say that creativity exists in each one in different ways. We can add that creativity may be aided by an awareness to possess potentially unique skills. Family, education, the activities we do in our spare time, or just randomness may help us in this awareness. The more our senses are alive and active, the greater is our capacity for creativity because, as Salvador Dali stated (1904-1989) “inspiration is everywhere, you just have to have your eyes open and your mind ready to receive”. To develop new ideas we have to be in the flow of life, with senses wide awake, watching, talking, touching, feeling, tasting. Then we reflect and we let our imagination rework it, with inspiration and intellectual freedom. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) argued that “chance favors the prepared mind”. Thinking to approach the truth, creating and innovating, without being supported by a range of knowledge that supports the research, is to pretend that the innovative idea comes out of nowhere. Imagine a myriad of circuits created by our genetic heritage, and gradually changed by experiences, sensations and stimuli from the environment around us. In the midst of these maps is enclosed our creativity, our ability to adapt, processing and discovering new perspectives, solutions and visions. In fact, in the functioning of the brain are still many dark areas. There are so many challenges in the way of knowledge of this amazing and complex organ that, despite making up only two percent of the total mass of our body represents approximately twenty percent of the total energy consumption. In science, to make progress, you must know, question and develop theories that innovate and give new life to a tireless search that proceeds to the knowledge of human capabilities, the surrounding environment and the universe space-time. A universe that attimes baffles because of its size and its mysteries, but gives a lot of charge and many stimuli to human intelligence trying to search for the truth that escapes and shows only fragments of it. Currently research on the neuropsychological bases of creativity does not give definitive answers and no one can say with confidence that our creativity passes only through synaptic pathways of the billions of neurons in our brain.
Creativity and spirituality are the essence of man, so fragile and yet capable of rising to sublime heights in music, literature, architecture, sculpture and painting, in the knowledge of the human body and the universe around it. On the topics of brain maps and spirituality we will investigate in the next chapters to try to better understand how they interface with creativity. Imagine being a successful bartender and wanting to create a cocktail of creativity. How could it be born? It would take a variable mix of genetic heritage, environmental inputs, intellectual honesty, curiosity, spontaneity, imagination and optimism; shake well to mix all the ingredients and taste. We cannot guarantee the result because to be successful you must have had the right insight and obtain the consent of the public that often comes after a long time. Similar mechanisms revolve around creativity, the ideas that bounce around in the mind, break up, overlap, repeat and in this way traditional ideas are transformed into different and original associations to form that magical cocktail that gives rise to novelty.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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[1] Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince, 1943.