Looking Under the Hood

Looking Under the Hood

Observe all men, thyself most. ─ Benjamin Franklin

To master many things in ourselves, we need to know what these “things” are by looking “under the hood” of this very complex human machine. Let’s look at the four lower centers or brains. We can begin by observing how these functions work and fine tune them to serve a higher purpose and connect us ─ or “jump start” us ─ into higher centers. Ouspensky writes in The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution that an individual embarking upon changing oneself needs “to work with the definite aim to become conscious and to develop the connection with higher centers [and] to work seriously … to conquer many things in yourself.” He goes on to say that “you cannot carry with yourself your prejudices, your fixed opinions, your personal identifications or animosities.”

In this discussion of the four lower centers, we will only be able to open the hood and see its larger components because of the complexity of the human machine ─ far more complex than an engine. Previous and subsequent posts will invariably circle back to this idea and gradually fill in more details.

The idea of positive and negative halves of centers was discussed in a recent post called “Contradictions.” The author reminds us of a very important point in his post, that “Neither one is better than the other, it’s simply how they function.”

As a starting point, begin to observe and categorize the I’s coming from the four lower centers. This can be accomplished by noticing the “voice” of positive or negative responses corresponding to each center and then tracing the “voice” back to the center that produced that response. With extended study, our library of observations begins to give us a picture of which “voice” is singing and from which part of the choir it comes from. A four-part choir is actually a good analogy for the four lower centers. In principle, we are trying to listen to, tune and balance the soprano, alto, tenor and bass into a harmonious whole.

In addition to positive and negative halves of centers, Ouspensky says that “One of the most important principles that must be understood in relation to centers is the great difference in their speed.” He continues, “the slowest is the intellectual center. Next to it ─ although very much faster ─ stand the moving and instinctive centers, which have more or less the same speed.” When working properly, the emotional center is the fastest, but it usually works at the same speed as the instinctive and moving centers since we live most of our lives in the second state of consciousness.

There is another center that stands between the four lower centers and the two higher centers. It is called the sex center. It has no positive and negative halves and is very difficult to observe because of its extreme speed. The role of the sex center is to create in us “a general equilibrium and a permanent center of gravity.” Ouspensky continues that “if the sex center worked with its own energy and in its own place, all other centers could work correctly in their places and with their own energies.”

Generally, when the contrast in speeds is greatest, it is easier to observe the different speeds of centers. For instance, compare the amount of time it would take to analyze in a laboratory and describe in words (the domain of the intellectual center) what happens in a split second when our taste buds taste food or drink (the domain of the instinctive center). Or what would happen if we were dependent upon the intellectual center to evade a car accident rather than the quicker response of the moving center?

We often find ourselves in the wrong center when engaging in an activity. An example of wrong work is the emotional center sitting down to take a test intended for the intellectual center and finding oneself agitated and unable to access the “voice” of the intellectual center and the knowledge that is stored there.

In writing this post, I am reminded of a more immediate example of the different speeds of centers. That is, how long it takes my intellectual center to formulate and write this post versus the speed of the reader’s potential emotional response to its content. The content might stimulate perceptions in your emotional center quicker than I’m able to describe them in words and your understanding and emotional response may even precede my text. We could extend this analogy further and say that with the touch of a key this entire post gets sent via electronic medium all over the world – at the speed of higher centers.

The two higher centers are called higher emotional center and higher intellectual center. Ouspensky describes that “in ordinary conditions the difference between the speed of our usual emotions and the speed of the higher emotional center is so great that no connection can take place and we fail to hear within us the voices which are speaking and calling to us from the higher emotional center.” Connection with the higher intellectual center “is possible only through the higher emotional center. In order to obtain a correct and permanent connection between the lower and the higher centers, it is necessary to regulate and quicken the work of the lower centers.”

Tuning, balancing, regulating and quickening are all terms which can describe the work which needs to be done under the hood of the four lower centers. This work of fine-tuning is done to bring our vehicle closer to the speed of higher centers.

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Self Portrait, Albrecht Durer