Perhaps you've heard the expression, "Come to your senses!" And usually it meant, "Listen. You need to look around and get a grasp of what's REALLY going on." It often continues with the speaker enlightening you with HIS wisdom. Yet "coming to your senses" is just about the most sensible thing you can do.
Our sensory system is the interface between us and the world. Stuff happens. And as it does, our "receivers" are bombarded with light, sound, taste, scent and sensation. And we pay attention to some of it, and some of it just goes by the wayside. We make choices about what's important, we interpret the data, and we come to our own understanding about "what's happening".
If you want to know what's going on, you've gotta pay attention. Duh! This isn't rocket surgery! Everybody KNOWS that. The information is like that tree that falls in the woods. You've got to be listening.
But there are a couple problems ...
Some people are listening. They're really good listeners. In fact, they like listening a lot. And they've developed a mental preference for it. "Thinking" for them is about words. And when they're deep in thought, they can't see what's right in front of their face. When we highlight one sense, we tend to turn down others. Saving mental bandwidth.
Led Zeppelin tells us. "If you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last." That might be true. I've listened very hard to Led Zeppelin with headphones on and my eyes closed so I could hear even better. But it works in the other direction too. I've turned down the radio in my car so that I could see better when I was looking for addresses on a dark street at night.
The conclusions we come to about what's happening, are only initiated by what's actually "out there". We create all the rest of it after the fact. A particular moment of sensory experience stimulates inner processes of selection and evaluation and interpretation and conclusion - and what we THINK is really out there, is really just what we THINK. We live in the world of our thinking. So if we want to be more accurate, and more in touch with the real deal, then we need to stay outside of our heads a little more, think a little less, and not spoil the data.
If you want to experience greater aliveness, satisfaction, delight, or anything worthwhile - SNAP OUT OT IT! The secret is in coming to your senses. Ever notice how some people are only half there? half awake? half alive? while others are vibrant and present. They show up. They're engaged and engaging. And they're using their senses. The first group have turned down the receptors and gone deep inside (or maybe deep asleep). They might be in their heads thinking ABOUT their lives, rather than LIVING them. It's like the big talkers in the locker room swapping stories about their sexual conquests. Some people are THINKING ABOUT IT and some people are DOING IT.
Here's something to know. You can start using your senses more. And you can use ALL of them. Early in my NLP education I fell victim to a common misconception. As we'd noticed that some people were more skilled at visualization and others were better with sounds and feelings, we came to believe that people were "Visuals" or "Auditorys" or "Kinos". AS if these were hired-wired characteristics. In fact, we all have all of our senses available to us ... outside as we experience the world, and inside as we re-present it in thought. There may be one or the other of our sensory systems that we use by default ... often to the exclusion of others. But you can use them all. All it takes is a little exercise ... a little attention. Practice moving your attention from one system to the other rather than staying with one. Especially if your in an great experience. Pay attention to what you see AND to what you hear AND to what you feel ... experience your life more directly. Get OUT of your head ... and INTO your life.
Now don't get me wrong, I know there are times for thinking ABOUT things. In fact, I've been doing quite a bit of it while I was writing this article. But now I'm going to go for a dip in the swimming pool. And in a pleasant and sensual experience like that, thinking is a bit over-rated. I'm sure you can come up with other, similar times when it's better to be fully in the moment ... leaving your thinking mind behind. Be there. Go back to the data. Come to your senses and come to life!
Our sensory system is the interface between us and the world. Stuff happens. And as it does, our "receivers" are bombarded with light, sound, taste, scent and sensation. And we pay attention to some of it, and some of it just goes by the wayside. We make choices about what's important, we interpret the data, and we come to our own understanding about "what's happening".
If you want to know what's going on, you've gotta pay attention. Duh! This isn't rocket surgery! Everybody KNOWS that. The information is like that tree that falls in the woods. You've got to be listening.
But there are a couple problems ...
Some people are listening. They're really good listeners. In fact, they like listening a lot. And they've developed a mental preference for it. "Thinking" for them is about words. And when they're deep in thought, they can't see what's right in front of their face. When we highlight one sense, we tend to turn down others. Saving mental bandwidth.
Led Zeppelin tells us. "If you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last." That might be true. I've listened very hard to Led Zeppelin with headphones on and my eyes closed so I could hear even better. But it works in the other direction too. I've turned down the radio in my car so that I could see better when I was looking for addresses on a dark street at night.
The conclusions we come to about what's happening, are only initiated by what's actually "out there". We create all the rest of it after the fact. A particular moment of sensory experience stimulates inner processes of selection and evaluation and interpretation and conclusion - and what we THINK is really out there, is really just what we THINK. We live in the world of our thinking. So if we want to be more accurate, and more in touch with the real deal, then we need to stay outside of our heads a little more, think a little less, and not spoil the data.
If you want to experience greater aliveness, satisfaction, delight, or anything worthwhile - SNAP OUT OT IT! The secret is in coming to your senses. Ever notice how some people are only half there? half awake? half alive? while others are vibrant and present. They show up. They're engaged and engaging. And they're using their senses. The first group have turned down the receptors and gone deep inside (or maybe deep asleep). They might be in their heads thinking ABOUT their lives, rather than LIVING them. It's like the big talkers in the locker room swapping stories about their sexual conquests. Some people are THINKING ABOUT IT and some people are DOING IT.
Here's something to know. You can start using your senses more. And you can use ALL of them. Early in my NLP education I fell victim to a common misconception. As we'd noticed that some people were more skilled at visualization and others were better with sounds and feelings, we came to believe that people were "Visuals" or "Auditorys" or "Kinos". AS if these were hired-wired characteristics. In fact, we all have all of our senses available to us ... outside as we experience the world, and inside as we re-present it in thought. There may be one or the other of our sensory systems that we use by default ... often to the exclusion of others. But you can use them all. All it takes is a little exercise ... a little attention. Practice moving your attention from one system to the other rather than staying with one. Especially if your in an great experience. Pay attention to what you see AND to what you hear AND to what you feel ... experience your life more directly. Get OUT of your head ... and INTO your life.
Now don't get me wrong, I know there are times for thinking ABOUT things. In fact, I've been doing quite a bit of it while I was writing this article. But now I'm going to go for a dip in the swimming pool. And in a pleasant and sensual experience like that, thinking is a bit over-rated. I'm sure you can come up with other, similar times when it's better to be fully in the moment ... leaving your thinking mind behind. Be there. Go back to the data. Come to your senses and come to life!
EMPOWERING TRANCE - A Retreat in the Redwoods
Details will be coming shortly about this upcoming event, so I can't tell you everything ... but for three and a half days (Friday evening til Monday Lunch) we'll be exploring the world of hypnosis and trance in the Northern California Redwoods/Wine Country. The focus isn't to teach you a bunch of new techniques, but to take you through experiences that will enrich the way you experience (and practice) hypnosis. Empowering your life and work with new a new paradigm about the hypnotic relationship. And yes, there will be storytelling round the campfire and a host of activities. Watch for more information, or check our website (www.phoenix-services.org) or call 407-481-0802 for more information.
Details will be coming shortly about this upcoming event, so I can't tell you everything ... but for three and a half days (Friday evening til Monday Lunch) we'll be exploring the world of hypnosis and trance in the Northern California Redwoods/Wine Country. The focus isn't to teach you a bunch of new techniques, but to take you through experiences that will enrich the way you experience (and practice) hypnosis. Empowering your life and work with new a new paradigm about the hypnotic relationship. And yes, there will be storytelling round the campfire and a host of activities. Watch for more information, or check our website (www.phoenix-services.org) or call 407-481-0802 for more information.
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