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Trust Your Intuition
by: Tracy Porter
Copyright 1998
In the left brain world where rational thoughts predominate, it is all too easy for the intuitive side of ourselves to lie dormant, unused and eventually even stagnate. As we often rely on data which has been churned out by statisticians and elaborate computer programs, it becomes far too easy to undoubtedly accept these cold, hard facts (which, incidentally, which can be manipulated to show varying results) and ignore those niggling hunches which quite often will yield a more accurate interpretation.
One of the most readily available intuitive tools at our disposal is the analysis of our dreams. While psychologists and doctors have conducted much research in an attempt to determine exactly what transpires when we sleep, from an esoteric perspective, sleep provides the period of rest for both the conscious mind and the animal body. Because the dream state is essential for our bodies to rejuvenate, when we are unable to sleep this is a clear indication that there is at least one area in our lives which needs resolution.
Quite often people will delay making important decisions until the next day to give them a chance to ‘sleep on it’. Even the ancient oriental oracle, I Ching, cautions the enquirer to wait three days before making a decision in hexagram 18 - Repair, thus indicating that a period of gestation is necessary before embarking upon important choices. The reason for this is because our subconscious mind will often direct us to the most appropriate course of action.
Much can be achieved during the sleep state to include problem solving, creativity, past life recall and psychic impressions. During the sleep state, perhaps because we surrender our volition, what is left of self awareness enters the realm where about 90% of our mind is active. In this arena facilities can function which on waking can seem unobtainable:-
- Many have become aware of the death or danger of a member of the family when dreaming. It is believed that kinship and love seem to be major factors in the way the unconscious functions.
- It is possible to see into the workings of the body during the dream state to assist in pinpointing an illness before it becomes apparent to waking observation.
- It is estimated that during the waking state we use only from 5-10% of our brains. What we do with the remaining 90-95% can only be hypothesised, but is quite likely that much of our mental facilities are to access a computer-like ability to sort through a massive store of information and experience to solve intricate problems. Morton Schatzman, in a New Scientist article, showed how subjects can produce answers to complex mathematical problems while dreaming.
- Many are able to tap into a collective mind which stores all experience and is seen as a universal force. This ability to unconsciously draw upon the universal mind is very similar in principle to this species of animal as all possess certain character traits which are considered to be instinctual or natural. With this in mind, it seems quite contradictory that while we often quite willingly accept the fact that other animals possess a type of empirical, instinctual telepathy, we often quickly dismiss any assertions that humans might carry similar attributes.
As we live in a technologically advanced society, it is quite easy to loose sight of the fact that we are merely highly evolved animals with developed minds which enable us to explore the world around us in a more surreal fashion than other species within the animal kingdom. While we are exploring the inner and outer universe of our awareness it is all too easy to forget that we have still retained some very basic primal behaviourisms unique to our species:-
- Our bodies have physical memories and can suffer psychosomatic effects even if we have mentally come to terms with an incident. For example, people who have suffered from chronic, long term depression will quite often carry the hopeless stance of this state even after the depression has lifted.
- The expression of happiness in a smile is readily recognised all over the world as smiling is one of the most important components of body language that we possess. A fake smile, however, is easy to recognise because the eyes remain unaffected when someone is covering up negative emotions.
- Although there are varying reasons why we choose not to tell the truth, it is a relatively simple matter to observe a person to determine the level of his sincerity. When lying, our mouths become dry so we tend to lick our lips a lot, we will scratch our nose or put our hands to our face in an attempt to conceal our mouths, fidget from side to side with our hands and feet, avoid eye contact, have a stiffened posture, and the tonal inflections in our voices are less resonant.
While some behaviouisms have been culturally derived, there remain mannerisms which are standard among the human race and can be considered to be derived from the collective consciousness. This ability to read the non-verbal signals that we send out is referred to as intuition or perception. Quite often when we have a ‘hunch’ about someone it is because we are reading the messages their body mannerisms are sending us instead of the words that have actually been spoken.
The ability to read a person’s non-verbal signals is such an important skill that a vast amount of research has been conducted to study it. It has been estimated that the total impact of a message is about 7% verbal, 38% vocal and 55% non-verbal. More importantly, the average person actually speaks words for a total of 10 or 11 minutes a day and the average sentence is only 2.5 seconds long. The verbal component of a face-to-face conversation is less than 35% and over 65% of communication is non-verbal.
The term ‘woman’s intuition’ was coined because women as a whole are usually much more perceptive of the subtle nuances which prevail in human behaviour. It is believed that women have a more highly developed ability to read a person’s body language because when raising children they learn to communicate with babies and young children without the benefit of language, thereby heightening their skills of perception.
In addition to the body signals which we unconsciously put out, we also have an energy field commonly called an aura. This subtle field which surrounds our bodies in the shape of an egg tends to change in relation to our temperament and state of health. While not everyone is able to visibly see the aura, there are indicators that allow us to perceive a person’s energy field and in effect his physical and mental state of being. These indicators are based upon our dress and appearance to include the colours we wear. If a person has a preference for a certain colour and wears it frequently, then his energy field will in all probability contain the colour that he wears.
- Red is a colour of energy and vitality, so those who wear it have a lot of charisma about themselves and would like to make a dramatic effect wherever they go.
- Yellow is the colour of the intellect and those who wear it tend to be very thoughtful and contemplate the world around them. Because yellow is the hue of the Sun, they are likely contemplating making some major life changes.
- Orange is a friendly, non-pretentious colour which projects a great deal of warmth. Those who wear it have a great deal of confidence and want to make an impact on those around them.
- Blue is the friendliest colour within the spectrum and represents our ability to be at peace with ourselves. Those who wear it wish to appear reliable, stable and approachable.
- Green is considered a neutral colour because it is a combination of both warm and cool tones. This colour has many healing qualities as well as a calming influence. Those who wear green wish to be grounded to the earth and can be quite practical.
- Black represents the absence of colour and can appear quite stark if other hues are not combined to alter the overall scheme. Those who wear it are seeking the security that its intensity brings, yet want to make a dramatic impression on those around them.
- White it the combination of all colour reflected through a prism and traditionally represents purity and clarity of thought. Those who wear it wish to bring illumination into a clouded situation and are as a whole conscious of one’s standard of cleanliness.
- Purple has traditionally been associated with royalty and is a majestic colour. Those who wear it want to make a magnanimous impression on those around them and are often in tough with their own higher consciousness.
- Grey is a middle of the road type of colour that is somewhat non-controversial. Those who wear it prefer not to make waves and don’t want to be noticed.
- Pink has traditionally been associated with love and caring. Those who wear it want to get in touch with the more sensitive side of themselves.