The diagram of mental symmetry can be approached in one of five major ways:

1) It can be viewed as a list of cognitive styles. In this case, each label describes a type of person. This website has some information on personality styles, but I suggest that you can find far more detailed descriptions—though a different theory—at http://www.cognitivestyles.com.

People who are adjacent in the diagram (like Perceiver and Mercy, Exhorter and Contributor, Teacher and Server, Contributor and Facilitator) tend to get along and well and usually marry each other, because they complete mental circuits. In contrast, those who lie on opposite sides of the diagram (Teacher and Mercy, Perceiver and Server) seldom marry because they are too different. The Facilitator person, as the ‘observer’ of the mind, can find himself marrying any of the other six styles.

2) It can be viewed as a guide for mental programming. In this case, each mode is a mental module that operates in a specific way, and the lines indicate how the various parts of the mind interact with each other. The ultimate goal is to get all seven parts functioning together. The book that this page links to focuses upon that aspect.

3) It can be viewed as a simple wiring diagram of the brain. If you want to know more about that, check out the section on neurology.

4) It can be used to analyze human history. In this case, what is being programmed is not one mind, but rather the minds of many individuals. Societal growth tends to occur as a group of people overcome a challenge that comes either from other groups or from their environment. I believe that I have discovered some of these principles, and this is described further in the section on history.

5) It can be used to derive Christianity. Here we are using mental programming as a way of coming up with Christian doctrine. Obviously, this sort of approach carries with it all sorts of religious and psychological assumptions. If you want to know more, check out the section on Christianity.

Mental networks play a major role in the theory of mental symmetry. They are described here.

The first book I wrote is called A Programmer’s Guide to the Mind. It deals with cognitive development, focusing upon the development of the Mercy, Perceiver and Teacher modes of thought. You could think of it as being inspired by Jean Piaget’s theory of childhood development.

You can download the book as a pdf from the Downloads section or else you can read it here on the web. I have divided the book into five sections to make it easier to read online:

1) Introduction.

2) Description of Mercy and Perceiver Thought.

3) Epistomology and Conscience.

4) Personal Identity and Teacher Thought.

5) Changing Personal Identity.

I have been trying to get my head around philosophy. I did an overview many years ago, but I am looking at the topic in more depth now. The terminology is rather obtuse but the concepts that I am encountering seem to match up quite well with the theory of mental symmetry. Here is my initial look at Heidegger. I have also added a few pages on Hegel.

The philosophy of Kant is more involved. However, here is my attempt to analyze and expand upon the transcendental argument of Kant.

And here is a detailed analysis of Kant's theory of Christianity compared with the model of mental symmetry. I strongly suggest reading through this section because there are both major similarities and significant differences between his model and mine.

I have added a 35 page analysis of economics including dozens of quotes from Ludwig von Mises, as well as a 25 page look at the objectivism of Ayn Rand, which takes many of the principles of economics and applies them more internally.

Anthony Robbins is often dismissed as merely a motivational speaker, but he actually describes a number of significant psychological principles. However, his starting point is personal improvement rather than following a general understanding. A 47 page essay on Robbins can be accessed here.

I presume that psychology is the right category for this. I have put together a 51 page analysis of Todd Tremlin's book on cognitive science and religion. And, I have also written 20 pages on Justin Barrett's book on cognitive science and religion. These two books contain a number of experimental findings along with a few general concepts which fit well into the theory of mental symmetry.

More recently, I have written a 49 page essay on Robert McCauley's 2011 book on the cognition of religion and the relationship between religion, theology, and scientific thought.

Don and Katie Fortune have given seminars on cognitive styles, which they refer to as motivational gifts, for almost 30 years. Their first book on the subject, Discover Your God-Given Gifts , has sold over 300,000 copies. I recently read through this book and you can find a short evaluation of their treatment of cognitive styles here.

Most recently, I posted an 84 page essay on Kabbalah, a combination of mysticism and psychology, which is the Jewish substitute for theology.