So something that intriqued me a few days ago watching Elon Musk talk on Joe Rogan was the way he processes information. By the look of it, his eyes move a lot as if he's recalling information or visualising things in detail on-the-spot, but it also reminds me of like very fast processing speed.
Do people that have higher than average intelligence have more natural Qi development? Are their bodies just more efficient at organising information? Are they healthier than normal people? Is it a jing thing - with genetic factors (thus past-life merit/cultivation) being the primary cause of their intelligence? Or is it rather... that they have a more natural ability to enter samādhi and become fully absorbed as a consequence of above-average concentration; perhaps trained from childhood due to parental influences or just natural interest?
Is it possible to enhance basic levels of cognitive performance through the internal arts ... and if so, to what degree? We read about samadhi and mental absorption and changing the physiology using internal alchemy; but while I can see it affecting your ability to concentrate and your intuitive capabilities quite dramatically (including but not limited to things like 'reading' people/energetics through the 'third eye') does it really enhance intelligence in terms of depth of mental processing, faster pattern recognition, logic, reasoning, etc.
A thing I remember my Buddhist friend was that once truly enlightened and one had entered the stream - one would have access to a sort of wisdom stream - which would allow you to, if you made yourself a fit vessel (such as through studying the material) much more 'prone' to mental insights into any topic of study you put your mind to.
What's the limit? Is there one?
This may have been discussed before, but I'd be very curious to hear people's thoughts on this topic. Perhaps especially interesting to me at the moment because I'm spending all my time learning hundreds upon hundreds of facts and algorithms for my final medical school exam.