The pre-rational stages can be defined in terms of the preliminary attempts to separate and differentiate these aspects, which is only partially successful.

With the next major grouping of stages, this differentiation - which is heavily centred on the conscious process is carried to an extreme level of specialisation. However this inevitably entails a high level of reductionism due to consequent repression of the unconscious.

Thus rationality becomes identified with what is finite and actual (as opposed to what is transfinite and potential). Spiritual experience - pertaining to the infinite - tends to be translated in reduced finite terms.

Likewise rationality becomes identified with what is "real" and quantitative (as opposed to what is "imaginary" and qualitative). The very use of the word "reality" bears testimony to this tendency. Affective experience - pertaining to the imaginary - tends to be translated in reduced cognitive terms.

Finally rationality becomes identified with what is "positive" and external (as opposed to what is "negative" and internal). Subjective experience - pertaining to the internal - likewise tends to be translated in reduced positive (i.e. objective) times.

This rational approach represents a distinctive and highly important paradigm best exemplified by the conventional scientific and mathematical approach.

It is generally referred to - in number terms - as the rational paradigm. However this is too imprecise. In fact - expressed fully in number terms - it is the finite positive real rational paradigm. What is entirely missed however is that just as the set of finite positive real rational numbers only comprises one small subset of the set of all possible numbers as quantities, likewise the finite positive real rational paradigm comprises just one small subset of the set of all possible numbers as qualities (i.e. paradigms).

We we are now at the stage of examining this important - though limited - rational paradigm.