IIt’s common to face the idea of intuition by rolling your eyes. We tend to value reason above all else, using expressions like “think before you act”, “think twice” and “look before you leap”. We don’t trust intuition. In fact, we believe it is magical and flawed, vaguely crazy or downright stupid thinking. After all, good decisions must always be reasoned.
What we don’t realize, however, is that intuition is a form of cognition that can actually improve our decision-making.
What is intuition?
You can think of it as an instinct or intuition. An inner knowledge or wisdom. The internal compass that guides you. Our instincts are aimed at keeping us out of danger and almost safe in a complex world – and even saving your life.
It is an elegant, tuned and incredibly fast form of perception. Intuition is a form of cognition intended to guide and alert us to things we would not otherwise be able to see.
When we talk about our intuition, we often talk about it as a feeling. Something “feels” wrong, although we can’t necessarily explain why.
We all have visceral feelings that we can’t explain. Sometimes a decision you are making seems reasonable, but it doesn’t feel right. On the other hand, you may be compelled to do something that seems irrational but feels right. The brain is always receiving, perceiving and processing information that leads it to acquire knowledge that our logical mind does not always understand or have access to.
The science of intuition
Joseph Mikels, a psychology professor at DePaul University, has researched intuition as an emotional process that can lead to better decision-making, especially when matters are complex. His research shows that when you make a complex decision with a lot of information to weigh, you’re more likely to choose the right path if you consult your intuition—your feelings—rather than debate the issue with reason alone. He found this to be especially true for older adults, whose cognitive faculties may not always be as sharp as those of younger people, showing that intuition is even more critical with age.
The US military – always trying to find ways to maximize human performance – has been investigating intuition for decades under various names. Commander Joseph Cohn, a research psychologist at the Office of Naval Research, describes why the soldiers’ experiences inspired the military to continue researching intuition: “Field reports often detailed a ‘sixth sense’ or ‘spidey sense’ that alerted them to an imminent threat. attack or IED or that allowed them to respond to a new situation without consciously analyzing the situation.” We don’t always have time for prolonged deliberations, especially in critical or life-and-death situations. Sometimes we need access to information extremely quickly.
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There have been so many accounts of soldiers returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq reporting how their instincts helped them save lives that the military continues to investigate the phenomenon to this day. The Department of Defense has opened several new research projects under different names, such as the Navy’s sensemaking, to analyze this phenomenon.
Intuition is nothing new, of course. “Many indigenous communities in the Americas and Africa have relied on intuition to survive – intuition about the environment, about the land, about threats to humanity,” says Dr. Dena Simmons, education scholar, author and founder of LiberatED, an organization that develops school resources to promote social and emotional learning, racial justice, and healing. “It is a shame that this wisdom is not more respected and that we do not look to the knowledge of those who have gone before us for guidance.”
How to build your intuition
Conscience is the key to sovereignty. As you begin to make space for intuitive insights, you will find your awareness deepening even further. By setting aside time and space for intuition to emerge, you will gain greater insight into yourself and the world.
Contemplate
Think about the decisions you made where you ignored your instincts. What were the consequences of these decisions? What about the times when you followed your gut? How did you feel about that? It was scary? How did others feel about this? What were the consequences? What did you learn? Journal or reflect on these questions.
Consult your instincts
When you need to make decisions, make it a habit to also consult your feelings on the matter. How you do it? When you need to make a decision between options A and B, for example, sit with your eyes closed for a moment. How do you feel about each option? You may notice that one makes you tense, while the other makes you relaxed. This will take practice. You may not notice much at first. Try it in different situations, when you’re dealing with people, for example.
Make space for silence
Our intuition becomes clouded if we constantly listen to news, opinions and entertainment. Turn off the noise for a while. Amplify the time to hear something other than the loud and blaring of everyday life.
Schedule idle time
Instead of always trying to be productive, have music on, look for news and notifications on your phone, and interact with someone or something, take time to allow your mind to daydream, to be in an unfocused space. You don’t need to set aside special time for this. Just choose not to answer calls or listen to podcasts while driving. Walk the dog or go shopping without your phone so you have time to just be instead of focusing on your screen. Go hiking without your technology. Allow your mind to be in a gently unfocused state, receptive to new ideas, insights and innovations.
Extracted with permission from Sovereign: Reclaim your freedom, energy and power in times of distraction, uncertainty and chaos by Emma Seppälä, Ph.D.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
