Every day a person is faced with situations in which it is necessary to make a choice. And it is not always easy - today you need to decide where to turn, and tomorrow you need to understand what kind of housing to buy, whom to marry, where to work. The society has a strong opinion that only a select few are lucky in such matters. However, if you properly train your intuition, you can catch luck by the tail and "mere mortals."
Definition
What is the sixth sense? Intuition is, first of all, human experience. The confirmations he has on a specific issue, which were received during his lifetime, enter the unconscious memory. And in the right situation, this knowledge can become relevant. When a person several times encounters a phenomenon of the same nature, such an experience is consolidated in the subconscious, becomes intuitive.
What is intuition, and how does its mechanism work? This question has interested researchers of all time. Translated from Latin, this word means "close contemplation." And in Russian, the word “instinct” is closer to this concept, which is more likely associated with scent than with vision. In this regard, we can recall the fact that one of the oldest parts of the human brain is the olfactory brain. Thus, intuition is an archaic way of perceiving the world.
Other views on the phenomenon of inner instinct
One can also give such a definition to the inner instinct: intuition - this knowledge, which was forgotten by a person, passed by his attention. Everything that a person does not want to consciously remember, turns into intuitive knowledge. In other words, the subconscious mind is a true friend that can be addressed in any difficult situation. Everything that a person did not want to remember consciously, over time turned into his experience. Intuition is the result of the collection of information that a person, aware of this or not, has been engaged throughout his life. Such information can be both visual and auditory, sensual, verbal.
We may not remember the specific events that took place once in the past. However, this knowledge is still accessible to the sixth sense. Therefore, most definitions of intuition in psychology appeal to the unconscious. For example, certain words and facial expressions of a person preceded a deception. Consciousness did not remember such information. However, she was deposited in the unconscious. And in the next similar situation, a flair will suggest that our next vis-a-vis is a deceiver.
Another name for the sixth sense is intuition, and it is well founded. Indeed, in the process of his life, a person uses the information that enters the brain through five channels of perception. However, intuition does not have such an “organ”. Conventionally, it is "located" in the unconscious structures of the mind. Therefore, instinct can be attributed to the functions of the brain.
Intuition as insight
The concept of intuition in psychology is more likely connected with such terms as “insight” or “insight”. In such a state, a person is able to solve a difficult task, over which he could work for months and years without success. A way out of an intractable situation is born. The fact is that conscious thinking accounts for only 5% of human mental activity. The remaining 95% occur in the unconscious. Thus, it is precisely this work that does a tremendous job of understanding the situation. The result that a person gets with a flair is like a flash of lightning. That is why many researchers consider insight or insight to be the best names for intuition.
Is there female intuition?
Studies show that intuition is a feeling equally characteristic of both sexes. In society, they are constantly trying to separate the feminine sense from the masculine one. Even though the very wording of such a question may be called into question. If a man achieves success, then most often this is attributed to his leadership qualities, effective activities. As for women, their achievements are often attributed to the notorious sixth sense.
However, recent research by scientists has debunked this myth. At the University of Hetfordshire conducted a survey among about 15 thousand subjects of both sexes. The conclusion was unambiguous: female intuition is a myth invented by society. The meaning of the scientists' experiment was that the participants were asked to evaluate whether the smile of the people in the photographs is genuine or artificial. Before starting the experiment, 80% of beautiful ladies and 58% of men said that they had a great sense of flair. But the results of the study showed that there is no significant difference between them.
Developed intuition was found in 72% of men and 71% of women. Thus, representatives of both sexes have equal access to their life experience. The only question is how often the stronger sex uses its instincts - it is perhaps its rare use by men that led to the emergence of the described myth.
Intuition test
Questionnaires and tests can be a very useful tool for self-knowledge. In the next test, you can find out if you have developed intuition. How to test your sixth sense with a similar test? To do this, you need to look at the following image of two women and a child, and determine which of them is his mother. The answer will be given at the end of the article. You can think about the answer and analyze as much as you like.
What prevents the development of the sixth sense?
Among those who are interested in methods of developing intuition, a reasonable question often arises, why can it be silent? If the sixth sense stubbornly refuses to help in life situations, you should look at the following aspects:
- Distrust of oneself. This is one of the most common reasons intuition can fail. And the point is not that she does not want to transfer her knowledge. Rather, the reason is in the person himself. He always hears an inner voice: “do this,” “run away from here before it's too late.” However, this voice is drowned out by an elementary inability to trust one's own feelings.
- The torment of your inner hint is one and the same question. In this case, the intuition is like “leaving in English” and stops responding. Moreover, it’s important not only that all desires are narrowed down to a single goal, but a reaction to the response that was received from the inner voice for the first time.
- Human-pleasing, blind worship of authority. When a person gets used to living according to the advice of elders, this does not allow him to develop his own approach to circumstances in life. He begins to consider himself insignificant, decisive. When a person relies on external authorities, he does not need the help of his intuition.
- Endless inner monologue. Often people confuse the quiet voice of the “sixth sense” with alien ideas, snippets of everyday thought, emotions. Such dialogues are not aimed at constructive resolution of the issue. They are more like long-playing chewing gum, which only provides nutrition to internal psychological conflicts.
- Constant fatigue. When a person barely moves his legs from fatigue, one can only dream of hearing his sixth sense. Intuition is an inner instinct that, like other experiences, may become dull as a result of fatigue. Scientists conducted studies that showed: at the end of a very hard working day, a person can make such cognitive mistakes as if he was in a state of mild intoxication. It is impossible to fully use cognitive functions in a similar state. Therefore, rest is a basic condition in order to hear the inner voice.
Exercise Elevator
There are a huge variety of exercises to develop intuition. For example, a technique called “Lift” is popular. To do this, you first need to imagine in as much detail as possible that our body is immersed in something pleasant, causing positive emotions. For some it will be a strawberry smoothie, for some it will be juice from freshly squeezed mango.
After this, it is necessary to dream up on a less pleasant topic - to imagine that the body is immersed in something that, on the contrary, does not cause pleasure. For example, milk froth, or cooled pasta. You need to remember your feelings, as detailed as possible to fix in your heart. Subsequently, when it will be necessary to make a certain choice, you can recall them from memory. What sensations does one or another option cause? What do we feel when we think on this topic: how does our body sink into nasty milk foam or into a strawberry smoothie?
Using this exercise on an ongoing basis, you can significantly develop your intuition.
A few more ways to develop a flair
Not every person is distinguished by an excellent scent. However, everyone has a chance to develop an inner instinct. There are several ways to do this.
- Make contact with the left ("intuitive") hemisphere. Since childhood, we have been taught how to make decisions based on logic. However, often only the right instinct can offer the right options. You can develop it if you use not only the right hemisphere, but also the left one in solving everyday problems. This can be done if you perform the usual, everyday tasks with the other hand, for example, brush your teeth, write.
- Exercise “Guess which coin is in your hand.” A partner is required to complete it. It is necessary to ask him to hold a coin in his fist, and then determine its location. A similar action is performed 10-15 times. Then it is necessary to analyze - what sensations in the body arose before the correct and incorrect answers?
- Find the answer in a dream. To use this method, you need to make a habit - in the evening, before you go to bed, ask your unconscious a question of interest. A sheet of paper and a pen should be placed next to the bed. After waking up, you should immediately remember the question of interest. The answer can be provided unconsciously in the form of a metaphor, or in plain text.
- "Who is there?". You need to install an anti-identifier on the phone. Whenever a call comes in, you should try to understand who is calling. In a few days, positive changes in intuitive perception will already be outlined.
- Recognize body signals. It is believed that about 80% of all the information that is operated by intuition comes from the body. And so when a person learns to recognize his sensations, his instinct makes a significant leap in his development. It is not without reason that we say that “legs don’t carry there,” “I feel that it’s better to stay here,” “this person is somehow unpleasant,” etc. You can start with a simple one, for example, listen to physical sensations when you need to enter to a new room. First, you can pay attention to whether it has become more comfortable or, conversely, there is a desire to leave. Then you can go on to analyze specific physical experiences. Body signals always tell a person whether the space in which he is located is safe or not.
Test answer
Are you ready to find out the answer to the test?
If the woman on the right was chosen, it means that the wrong choice was made. 70% of respondents in this test for intuition offer exactly this answer. He says that you have excellent creativity. The man who chose the woman on the right is distinguished by his non-standard outlook on things. Friends usually listen to him, because in his words a lot of wisdom. He can be called a mature and focused person.
Only 30% of respondents choose a woman on the left. Such a choice suggests that a person does not give in to difficulties and always tries to find the best solution to the problem. The woman on the right sits with legs straightened - and thereby she demonstrates a protective position. Also, the child is turned to the mother. The two described signs can also be seen in the picture.
Conclusion
Intuition is a gift that allows you to solve many problems on a person’s life path. It covers almost all spheres of existence. After all, consciousness and the unconscious mind are almost always in a state of interaction. It is instinct that is the support and assistant to the human mind. Regularly applying exercises to develop intuition, you can learn to use this precious gift. And then the answers to many vital questions will become obvious.
Should intuition be trusted, everyone decides for himself. Many of those who have learned to use this tool are surprised at how much benefit it can bring in life. With the help of inner flair, you can make decisions regarding the professional path, the quality of your nutrition, get rid of unnecessary habits and painful doubts.