Multiple IQ

I've recently learned something I didn't know about our standard IQ test. Let's qualify that statement: I've recently learned anything at all about the IQ test, since previously I didn't know a damn thing.

The IQ Test
According to Ben Mack in his novel "Poker Without Cards", the IQ test was created during WWI and used extensively during WWII to "ascertain proclivities towards success performing specific tasks. A tool invented by psychologists for a war effort. " It was developed from tests created by Alfred Binet to see if certain children would benefit from schooling. The problem with the IQ test is that it only measures one type of intelligence.
I'll come back to that statement soon, but to explain where I'm coming from let me state that I have a high IQ. I know this, even though it's never been measured, for two reasons. The first is that an ex-partner had a measured IQ of 162, and I could keep up with her in everything except pure mathematics.
The second reason is that I once took a test of visual logic. It was a simple thing which involved looking at an arrangement of 3 patterns forming a logical progression and you had to choose the 4th from a small selection. I got 59 right out of 60. The examiner was amazed at how high my score was, I was amazed that I got any wrong out of such simple nonsense.
I also know, because I work at a University and because I know a lot of Pagans, a great many people with very high IQ's. The problem is that they're not all terribly clever!

Multiple Intelligences
I was first introduced to the concept of multiple forms of intelligence by a friend who works as a schoolteacher. One might think that her job would be biased towards an academic view of intelligence, but she has had to find ways to relate to and teach an immense multitude of personalities and abilities. Thus, although the system doesn't work that way, she has a lot of time for multiple intelligences theory.

The theory was formulated by Howard Gardner, a Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He originally discovered or proposed seven different intelligences: interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, mathematical-logical, visual-spatial, kinesthetic and musical. Later he added an eighth, naturalistic.

He also considered spiritual and existential intelligences, but found them impossible to measure.

According to Wikipedia the various intelligences can be defined like this:
Interpersonal: The ability to relate well to, understand and deal with other people. I suppose we could call it a form of empathy.
Intrapersonal: The ability to understand oneself in terms of motivation, fears etc, and use that information to regulate our lives.
Linguistic: A sensitivity to spoken and written language and the ability to express oneself effectively.
Mathematical-Logical: The ability to recognize, analyze and deal with patterns and problems in a logical fashion.
Visual-Spatial: "the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas."
Kinesthetic: The ability to use ones mental faculties to create bodily patterns, such as using a physical skill.
Musical: Pretty much what it sounds like - musical ability. It appears to run in parallel with linguistic ability.
Naturalistic: The ability to "recognize, categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment."

According to a quick self-assessment test my own balance of intelligences is as follows (according to a system that awards points out of a potential 25):
Interpersonal - 13
Mathematical-Logical - 15
Intrapersonal - 17
Linguistic - 17
Visual-Spatial - 18
Kinesthetic - 19
Musical -20
Naturalistic - 22
This seems fairly well-balanced, although I'm apparently not as good at dealing with people as I could be.

Eight
One of the things that struck me is that the amount of measurable intelligences seems to have settled at eight.
There are a lot of eights in this world, especially in occult/religious matters, such as the Eight Sabbats, the Eightfold Buddhist path and most importantly for this piece: Wilson and Leary's eightfold model of human consciousness.

A full explanation of the eightfold model (even just for myself) would take far too long, and will have to be saved for another entry. What I want to consider here are the first four.

The Eightfold Model of Human Consciousness.
This is a model formulated by Robert Anton Wilson and Timothy Leary which basically states that the human mind has four circuits or imprinted behaviour patterns. These are part of the left-brain and rule our normal day-to-day affairs. There are also another four (which we're not really concerned with here) which reside in the right-brain and function as higher or more spiritual aspects of the first four. That was a totally inadequate explanation, but for the functions of this little essay, it'll do.

The four circuits are:
1. Bio-survival: Imprinted at birth or just after and concerned with bodily needs, functions and security.
2. Emotional-Territorial: Imprinted during the toddling stage and concerned with emotional dominance and submission, hierarchies and authority.
3. Semantic: Imprinted during early life and concerned with the ability to handle symbol systems such as language and logical thought.
4. Sociosexual: Imprinted during the first sexual experiences (although I'm not sure that's true) and concerned with social and sexual matters such as morality

Each individual tends to favour one of these four imprinted behavioural patterns or concerns above the others. It's fair to say that I'm rather strongly a 3rd circuit person. Having said that, under threat the most important circuit for anyone immediately becomes the first - biosurvival.

The important thing here is that these circuits are set in the brain, not in stone, and can therefore be changed. According to RAW, the learning of a martial art leads one to deal with biosurvival problems in a much more positive and less stressful way.

Connections
What I'd like to find out now is if these two theoretical patterns can be melded and integrated. I don't know because I'm making this up as I go along with minimal research, but I get a feeling that the eight intelligences could be directly related to the four circuits.
Just as a for-instance: Naturalistic intelligence directly relates to biosurvival because it's the basic intelligence needed by any hunter-gatherer. Linguistic intelligence directly relates to the semantic circuit, and interpersonal to the emotional. The intrapersonal seems to have a relationship with the sociosexual circuit.

That's only half of them, and I'd appreciate any suggestions or corrections of what is becoming a potential working model.

Hooray!
The really great thing about multiple intelligences, though is this. Even though what you are and how you see the world are partly genetic and partly imprinted from an early age, they don't have to remain the same. You can take control and change them.
I've proven this to myself very simply. Before the age of 30 I couldn't play a musical instrument - my musical intelligence was very low - now I play flute solo and in a band and (according to the funny little test) my musical intelligence is second only to my naturalistic intelligence.

We are what we choose to be!

Love,
Seán