Landscape intelligence is a measure of our ability to notice new qualia in the landscape when we need it. When our usual landmarks and pathways fall apart, when they fail to provide us with what we need, that is when we need to notice new qualia. A bird may notice something red, which was never noticed before, and fly to it. There, seeds, or a nesting site may be revealed. That is the gift of qualia when we need it.
But that is not enough. A relationship must be developed with with the redness, and with the source of the redness — a bush, perhaps, or even a plastic feeder in a human backyard — which means we must go to it regularly, we must ritual with it. This develops the dopamine reward circuit, and as a result we may notice more redness in the landscape, more of these bushes or backyard feeders. Qualiadelic relationships make qualia more clear to our senses, and our minds; we notice redness or ideas — signs or symbols — where we never noticed them before, because the old landmarks and pathways, before they fell apart, hid them from our view. They were invisible because they weren’t necessary. But when things fall apart their “hidden” value is revealed.
Animals ritual instinctively, but people can do it consciously, with intension; we can experiment (literally). We can play with controlled spontaneity, developing and cultivating the landmarks and pathways that will guide us through our complex landscapes.
An excellent landscape in which to practice is the emotional landscape. The emotional landscape is a wild landscape, and its landmarks and pathways are always changing. Things fall apart frequently. Emotions may feel strong, or sharp, but our understanding of them is primitive and vague. Emotions are like redness, and we have to consciously ritual with our feelings to know them better. They may be caused by hormones and neurotransmitters, but we can be aware of them through the lens of the dopamine reward circuit. It is the dopamine reward circuit which connects our limbic brain with our forebrain, allowing us to treat our emotions rationally.
As we navigate emotions, moving with controlled spontaneity into “dangerous” situations, they become more familiar. We develop new and reliable landmarks and pathways. We can label them more accurately. We can go into our emotional landscapes with the same confidence that a seasoned hiker goes into the mountains, or a street kid struts into the urban jungle. This is emotional intelligence.