A guest post by Venli.
Have you wondered why some of your best ideas come when you are in the shower? No, those ideas were not locked in your sandalwood scented body-lotion bottle.
Water falling on your skin, the smell of soap and the sensation of freshness, all unite to bring your scattered mind, fully in the present moment.
Your mind relaxes, and the subconscious opens up, creating the perfect condition for your inner genius to shine through. No wonder, so many of your creative flashes happen in the shower.
Instead of exotic mental stunts, try simple mindfulness exercises, and watch your creativity flourish!
In his autobiography, “Ogilvy on Advertising”, David Ogilvy wrote how he struggled to find the right words and illustrations for highlighting his client – Pepperidge Farm – products. Eventually he went to sleep, and then he dreamt of a baker driving his horse drawn wagon down a country road. After having his dream, Ogilvy wrote the now legendary Pepperidge Farm advertisement with the horse cart illustration.
The ability of our subconscious mind to bubble up solutions for our problems, apparently out of nowhere is what scientists call “hidden intelligence”.
In my own personal experience, I have witnessed the power of hidden intelligence or intuition in solving math problems as a kid, or in designing creative marketing strategies as an adult.
With time, I developed a personal technique for getting in touch with my intuition. This technique consisted of three steps – relax, center and be mindful.
I have experienced the power of my hidden mind in two ways.
On everyday occasions when faced with seemingly insoluble problems, I would take a short break to relax, center my mind, and ask for direction. Every time, the path which would pop up in my mind, would be the path which turned out to be the best solution.
At a deeper level, when faced with critical assignments, I would, through mindfulness, tap into an unexplained source of energy which helped me to work very hard, but without any stress.
In every such instance of work done with mindfulness, the outcome was such that it exceeded my own expectations by a huge margin.
Intuition isn’t magic, and with practice, it is simply another way of using your mind.
The value of hidden intelligence is most visible in creative work which cannot be programmed, such as art or writing or moviemaking. People who excel in such activities are said to be imaginative, talented, or artistic. People who are perceived as creative individuals, are those who have learned to tap into their intuition and harness it for their own purpose. Most commonly, our hidden mind manifests itself as flashes of insight, or as inspired hunches.
Our hidden mind is most visible in the form of our conscience which prevents us from hurting other creatures or saying untruthful things. By constantly ignoring our intuition we can deaden its signals, and by paying conscious attention to our subconscious, we can sharpen its ability to be heard.
Defying logical analysis, an intuitive insight often turns out to be a fascinating success. These amazing outcomes have inspired generations of scientists to try to capture the hidden mind in a scientific framework.
Our hidden mind thwarts scientific analysis. Researchers obsessed with psychic phenomena, like the American astronaut, Doctor Edgar Mitchell, are often ridiculed as quacks. Scientists use clinical trials to rubbish the information obtained from the hidden mind as non-repeatable lucky guesses.
The preoccupation of the psychic researchers to use scientific theories to explain intuition contributes to the disdain they stir up. Intuition can only be understood intuitively.
Intuition is a natural mental ability. Each of us has an intuitive mind which gives us access to a hidden dimension. There is nothing which can make improve our intuition. It is already perfect.
What we can do through regular practice, is learn how to go inside ourselves and identify our intuitive feelings. We will then become comfortable about accepting guidance which comes to us intuitively.
The psychic industry, capitalizing on our fascination with unexplained phenomena, has many exotic resources to offer, for example, mental exercises with crystals, aromatherapy, expensive meditation apps, books and step-by-step online courses.
While your intuition is unique and speaks to you in a personal way, the techniques to get attuned to your hidden mind are universal. In my own experience, mindfulness has proved to be the “secret” technique which lets me tune into my inner voice.
While growing up, I practiced prayers regularly as explained in my religion. Prayers quietened my mind and strengthened my faith that a higher power will certainly reward my sincere efforts.
In my early years, leading a sheltered life, I had no reason to harbor ill will towards anyone and I was at peace with the world. My prayers easily led me towards mindfulness.
As I grew up, I was thrown into the real-world frenzy which generated many conflicting emotions including anger and jealousy. I could no longer make my mind tranquil or tap into the hidden mind.
After practicing for a long time with many mindful masters, I realized that true mindfulness is based on kindness.
While activities like prayers, watching your breath, and other meditation techniques can still the noise in your mind, real peace comes only when you forgive others, and practice conscious kindness. When we live a life based on truthfulness, our mind is not distracted with a need to spin false stories.
The tenets of mindfulness are very simple.
Relaxation activities like walking in nature provide a good foundation for mindfulness. While masters can be mindful in the midst of chaos, as a beginner it is easier to learn mindfulness techniques in a quiet place.
Many paths lead to truth if practiced with sincerity. I would encourage you to find the true spirit of prayer in your religion.
For mindfulness training, make an effort to seek out true masters instead of the commercial online teachers, or internet apps.
Mindfulness is not complicated. Simple techniques like watching your breath, observing your thoughts as they bubble, and being thankful for your blessings can lead to very enjoyable meditative experiences.
You will find your mind becoming quieter with practice.
As your mind becomes quiet, you will hear what your intuition has to tell you.
You will become conscious of a higher power listening to you and speaking to you.
Your writing and creative work will take on another dimension. Your work, inspired by your hidden mind would truly shine.
References
This post is a transcript of the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaGLGCdGOOM
