LIFE IS LEARNING
Life is all about learning how to learn the truth and finding extreme joy in it. There are many lessons in life that we can learn. Some would say that life is a training ground for the realities beyond this life. Many of the people who have had after death experiences tell about the levels beyond common reality.

Some of the alter states of consciousness that we can relate to are: paying attention, sleep, dreaming, hypnotic, ecstasy, and drug induced states of consciousness that can be referred to as the alpha, beta, delta, and theta levels of awareness.

Beta is our normal state of consciousness. Alpha is a more attentive state that is often produced by techniques like contemplation, meditation, prayer, yoga, tai chi, dance, song and many other creative activities.

Charles Tart mapped out many of these levels of consciousness and Barbara Brown attempted to show us how the "Body and Mind" work together and how to use these levels and aspects to do much more in life.

Howard Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligences that categories eight types of intelligence: words, numbers, pictures, athletics, music, popularity, "selfish" (knowledge of self) and naturalistic. Others added over 120 aspects of intelligence. I recall that the aspects were contained within a 4*5*6 matrix of reasoning, remembering and will.

Here is a list of nine types of intelligence that scientists have made:
1. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence -- well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words
2. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence -- ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns
3. Musical Intelligence -- ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber
4. Visual-Spatial Intelligence -- capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly
5. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence -- ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects skillfully
6. Interpersonal Intelligence -- capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others.
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence -- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes
8. Naturalist Intelligence -- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature
9. Existential Intelligence -- sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

The process of learning how to learn better is the key to a well rounded education. The traditional education keys upon various areas of intelligence like: reading, writing, arithmetic, arts and science.

Cognitive scientists have discovered many types of genius. Savants, eccentrics, prodigies, visionaries, and despots, all reflect aspects of the seven types of genius. Genius at illusion, war and spy-craft, physical performances, and even comedy are part of some of their list.

Medical experts, researchers and the geniuses themselves all comment or demonstrate aspects of genius that are astonishing and unexpected. One theory suggests that creativity is genetic, and thus, geniuses are indeed born, not made.

Galton examined the extended families of prominent geniuses in the arts, letters, and sciences, and "demonstrated" that mental illness tended to occur in branches of their family.

The popular culture's notion that geniuses were crazy certainly received support from the excesses of many of the Romantic artists of the 19th century, who had their share of obsessive, manic, and ecstatic behaviors.

They point out that people frequently underestimated Stalin's intellectual powers. They say that he ran the Soviet Union for three decades without ever having a secretary, a speech writer or any confidant. During that time he wrote thirteen volumes of published works, and two unpublished, all in long-hand.

Self-directed learning is essential in nurturing your own innate genius and maximizing your potential. It utilizes at least four aspects of genius: the desire to learn, a love of the task at hand, acquisition of deep knowledge of a subject area and expansion of mental literacy.

In developing an understanding of the person we need to look at every aspect of the individual. In many cases we look at the good and the ordinary qualities that we try to transform into unique assets.

Our model includes maximizing our potentialities and remembering to always be virtuous. The holistic model of human formation includes the physical, mental and spiritual aspects that we integrate and balance to transform our total self.

Most of what we know is embodied into our personality. It is by paying attention to our unconscious motivations that we become better able to learn from the past.

Most of our intelligence is hidden in untapped wisdom. Yet everyone is able to learn how to improve themselves by making it a constant practice. The more we pay attention to our strengths, the better able we are to transform our development.

The techniques that we use with physical development can also be used with mental and spiritual formation. All together they make up the total improvement team.

Learn from the authorities in each area and develop your own program of life long learning that includes both conscious and embodied wisdom to discover all that you can become.