Lateral Analysis Defined.

Based on lateral thinking, although it might seem like an oxymoron, lateral analysis is really a development out of it. Helping to make it a practical process. First you do a brain storm on your associations with the whole situations. You then analyze the components of the situation and again do a creative association exercise based on them. You can use any systematic approach to do the analysis of the components.

If, while you do this, you are always aware of the interrelations with the big picture outside the situation you will be able to throw all kinds of associations together which will let you step out of the linear box-like approach to thinking about the situation.

Each of the components will have connections with events outside the situation. The essential functions and relationships with similar components in other situations will be sources associations in the wider world. Once you have done some these obvious things try crazy stuff like writing a list of words for the descriptive elements of the situation and do puns based on them.

If you follow the Analytical System's link you'll see an example of an associative framework and various examples of it application to a broader approach to planning and personal development. It mostly consists of a categorised set of questions for pointing your questioning in different ways. If you go to the archive you'll find an essay on the power and importance of Questions.

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