Rational and Irrational

The last article considered the relationship between psychosis, hallucinations and dreams. The commonality was the unconscious (hidden) psychology of each person. Dream symbols are related to psychotic symbols and the symbols associated with hallucinations because all symbols are expressions of the unconscious. Clearly, the symbols in dreams, psychosis and hallucinations are not logical, in other words rational. If not rational, then the symbols must be illogical or irrational.

Since we dream every night for a considerable part of the night, then it is safe to say that our experiences during the night are irrational. Now, unless we suffer from psychosis and hallucinations when awake, our waking hours are filled with rational experiences. Much can be said about both our rational and irrational psychology, since both are important to human nature.

Simply put: you and I are not just rational, logical, organized, structured people. We are also irrational, illogical, disorganized, unstructured, people. It is easy to see the irrational in our dreams but it is not so easy to see it in our everyday lives. It is present, though, influencing our expressions, our thoughts, our beliefs and our understandings of life.

Artists, creative people, people who believe in luck, who live with superstitions, who believe the unlikely and who believe wishes come true are people who live more openly with the irrational side. Mathematicians, people who require proof and evidence, people who insist there are logical steps to every conclusion, are people who live more openly with the rational side. Although human beings have developed to the point that rational thinking is considered more productive and civil, both sides are necessary in order to be living a full human existence. How we live both sides varies considerably from person to person.

As mentioned, an artist can live the irrational side when creating but that person can also live the rational side when focusing on finances or talking with friends. Most often people choose to block the irrational and attempt to simply be rational, since the rational side is more respected in our society. But the value of the irrational must be understood as well. For it is imaginative, creative, exciting and stimulating.

You might consider how often during the day you are irrational. If you decide that it is infrequent, then finding ways to live the other side of human nature can be beneficial. Of course, finding a balance is always important.