Directed thinking and fantasy thinkingAs writers sometimes use ”a tremendous intuition” (or the other way around) as the source of their literary production, so I think is the case with Luhmanns theory.
When we are guided by an intuition, we are guided by our unconsciousness, and when it happens, unconsciousness manifests itself through a special type of thinking, which Jung calls fantasy thinking (or mythic thinking) as opposed to directed logical thinking:
"We have, therefore, two kinds of thinking: directed thinking, and dreaming or fantasy-thinking. The former operates with speech elements for the purpose of communication, and is difficult and exhausting; the latter is effortless, working as it were spontaneously, with the contents ready to hand, and guided by unconscious motives. The one produces innovations and adaptations, copies reality, and tries to act upon it; the other turns away from reality, sets free subjective tendencies, and, as regards adaptation, is unproductive (note)."
The note reads:
"Similarly James, Principles, II, pp. 325-326. Reasoning is productive, whereas “empirical” (merely associative) thinking is only reproductive. This opinion, however, is not altogether satisfying. It is no doubt true that fantasy thinking is not immediately productive, i.e. is unadapted and therefore useless for all practival purposes. But in the long run the play of fantasy uncovers creative forces and contents, just as dreams do. Such contents cannot, as a rule be realized except through passive, associative, and fantasy-thinking.. [Segal, 1998, p. 116, (my emphasis in both quotes)]
Mythic or fantasy thinking, Jung writes, turns away from reality and regarding adaptation is unproductive, but uncovers creative forces (from the unconscious).
I do not agree that mythic thinking is unproductive and as the note indicates, Jung himself, is not calling it either one or the other. Also the text is from a book written in 1912 (‘Symbols of Transformation’), i.e. at a very “rational” time in history and by Jung at a young age. I am not an expert on Jung but I would not be surprised if he changed his view in favour of mythic thinking later on in his career.
Luhmann guided by the unconsciousLuhmann writes in the preface to ‘Social Systems’ that "whereas the theory, with regard to the content of its conceptual frameworks and statements, wrote itself, the problem of arrangement cost me much time and deliberation." [Luhmann, 1995, preface, (my emphasis)]
The theory wrote itself, it was done effortless, which using Jungs terminology was via fantasy thinking and guided by the unconscious, whereas arranging the theory had to be done using directive “logical” thinking and therefore was energy draining. Luhmann was not trying to adapt his theory to already existent theories; he created something totally new and you get the impression that notes and references are merely there to show the enormous amount of books he had come across, they are not there to support the theory. It stands alone.
FlowInstead of fantasy thinking, the concept of “flow” can be used as described in the book of the same name by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow, by Mihaly’s definition, is the experience where the musician gets lost in the music or the painter becomes one with the painting process, or as in Luhmanns case, a scientist is one with the working process. The experiences of flow are described as being filled with happiness, creativity and life, i.e. a very desirable state.
Flow, as I have experienced it, is closely connected to the state of your consciousness. When an adult person is in a flow state, he is in a higher state of consciousness, beyond his daily ego-consciousness: There are no desires, you do not think in words, i.e. you do not hear a little voice inside your head, as when you e.g. think about what to buy at the groceries, you are in a state of pure “being”, where your thoughts and actions meet in a blissfull harmony.
Small children are in a state of unconscious flowChildren are known to have much energy. They often run around for hours, playing and having fun, without showing any signs of exhaustion, whereas the adults have to take turns joining in, if at all. Children are often referred to as a "sack of fleas" and having "fire in the behind", you don’t hear these expressions of an adult very often.
The reason for their energetic behaviour is sometimes too much candy, but in general I think its because their consciousness are not yet developed; they find it easier and more natural to use fantasy thinking instead of directed thinking, which is a source of energy instead of the opposite. Children are in a state of (unconscious) flow, to the extent that their ego-consciousness has not yet developped. When it has developped flow generally seems to occur rarely and only for short periods of time.
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