Where do Ideas Come From? Is There a Spiritual Dimension to Product Development? One Thing is a Certainty--Inventing Products May Have a Deeper Meaning Than We Realize. By OUR PAL(R) Asija MBA, PE, CDP, JD, ATM

THE SPIRIT OF INVENTION

The spirit of invention is not only well and alive, its burning like a fire on both sides of the pond. Everything was created in spirit before it was embodied. The spirit of invention is inseparably connected with the divinity of the inventor. Our fascination with inventing and inventions is more deeply spiritual than utilitarian, although by no means are the two mutually exclusive. Many great inventors were also students of religion. Invention Technology and religion are not at odds with each other, but are actually in harmony, which results in synergy and symbiosis.

INSPIRATION FOR INVENTING

All major advances can be traced back to a direct or indirect, conscious or sub-conscious inspiration (if not revelation) from God, who uses inventors merely as conduits for his purposes which we are not yet capable of comprehending. For example, Sir Isaac Newton devoted a substantial part of his life to the interpretation of prophecy. Some will have you believe that invention is as sacred as religion and others will have you believe that inventing is as fanatic as religion. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. Most successful inventors were religious--even Charles Darwin who came up with the "Natural Selection" theory which apparently contradicts many scriptures including the "Holy Bible".

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE USES

Most inventions have positive uplifting uses, as well as negative destructive uses. Microwaves can be used for communications, cooking or for destruction. Atomic energy can be used for peaceful purposes or for "Armageddon" by evil forces within the bounds God has set. It's the user that is to blame and neither the invention nor the inventor.

LEARNING FROM NATURE

Sometimes an invention results by imitating nature but at other times imitating nature wastes your valuable creativity, time and other resources. Examples of successful invention by imitating nature include glider, velcro and hypodermic syringe. Examples of failures by imitating nature include early attempts at airplane and automated floor cleaning brooms. Examples of successful invention by lateral thinking include vacuum cleaner by Hoover and SWIFT-ANSWER(R) by yours truly. You can be a winner if you can figure out in advance when to imitate nature and when not to--because that is the question.

Invention takes place when you choose to have fun, which creates enjoyment, which invites participation, which focuses attention, which expands awareness, which promotes insight, which generates knowledge, which facilitates action and which brings results of invention.

The following five steps are common to both manual (man made) as well as natural (God made) inventions.

a) Input

b) Processing

c) Rest

d) Purging

e) Output

Even the purging of one process may become the input of another process.

FUTURE INVENTIONS

The past generation has invented plastics, software, cloning, composites, bio-tech etc. The next generation will probably develop cloning, free or very cheap energy, Genomics, Information superhighway and the like inventions.

CONCLUSION

We must study similarities and differences between manual (man made) systems and natural (God made) systems existing in nature. We must develop intelligence to know when to imitate nature and when not to, in order to be successful inventors. In order to be successful we must achieve optimum balance between all aspects of not only inventing, but also business and life purposes as a whole with total time, talent, treasure and tenacity.

Pal Asija is an inventor and patent attorney who offers many services for inventors. You may contact him at 7 Woonscoket Ave, Shelton, CT 06484. The phone number is (203)924-4271. You may also fax him at (203) 924-9956. Those with online service may reach Asija by writing to OURPAL@compuserve.com