Posted by 
Jennifer M. Ryan, M.Ed.
 on October 1st, 2008

behind the glass
Creative Commons License photo credit: ΗǼЯӨŁĐ PHOTOGЯAPHX

Going through life a little more unconscious wouldn’t be as bad as it sounds. I’m not talking about walking through life like a zombie or a sleepwalker. Please don’t take me literally!

What I mean is allowing the wisdom of your unconscious mind, where can be found, to come through a little bit more. It’s only natural. Your brain is designed to help you make assumptions. After all, where do those assumptions come from? Your unconscious mind provides them. Did you actually think many of your assumptions come from conscious thoughts based on empirical evidence in front of you, the supposed “real world”? Nope.

Your brain is hardwired to allow your to come through. So let it. Noted expert Gerd Gigerenzer wrote a book called “Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious” in which he provides three ways to get in touch with your unconscious mind and thus your , rather than “thinking” our way through problems and difficulties.

Step 1: Let your emotions take over. Your unconscious mind has a way of picking up on what’s best for you. So let it. When it comes to making tough choices, let your unconscious mind detect the right path and go with what “feels right.”

Step 2: Trust your instincts. Allow yourself to hone in on choices and paths that resonate with you, the ones that seem clearer to you, especially when you confront forks in the road with several difference paths to choose from. Narrow down on those choices. Then feel the pull of the ultimate path. Simply put, that means picking the path that you feel most comfortable with. Say you’re on the job market and have two offers. They both basically pay the same, offer similar benefits … but one has a definite attraction to it. Go with it!

Step 3: Use common sense. Ever walked into a situation that makes you feel unnerved? Met someone who is setting off your “spidey sense” and you feel the need to be cautious around them? Follow that sixth sense. It’s your unconscious mind telling you something, not you being “judgmental” and “unfair.” It could be as simple a matter as someone you just met asking you a whole bunch of personal questions. If you get a weird sense about him, don’t answer all of his questions. Or it could be some situation as dangerous as walking alone down a dark street when two men begin walking at you quickly. In that case you want to listen to your unconscious mind if it tells you to speed up, get away from them, find a crowded street or store, etc. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the unconscious mind will come to your rescue in every situation like that. And you might automatically know (from your mom teaching you well) to be careful on a dark street. But it does go to show–if you feel your unconscious mind tingling, listen up.

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