Perception refers to the way we understand and interpret information received by the five senses. Often it also refers to things that we feel but cannot explain. Learn to be more perceptive or sensitive by reading people's body language, trusting instincts, being a sensitive listener, and by practicing meditation.
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Method 1 of 4: Reading Body Language
Step 1. Learn About Body Language
Ninety percent of human communication is done non-verbally. A person's body language can be emitted whether consciously or not, and this applies genetically and is learned. Body language is a strong indicator of the state of a person's feelings, but the concreteness varies from culture to culture. What this article discusses are indicators of body language in Western culture.
Step 2. Understand the six facial expressions
Psychologists classify six unconscious or involuntary facial expressions that they consider universal across all cultures: expressions of happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust and anger. Each has its own signal or clue, and reveals one's feelings. But keep in mind that these expressions tend to be fleeting, and that some people can disguise them well.
- Happiness is indicated by raising or lowering the corners of the mouth.
- Sadness is indicated by lowering the corners of the mouth and raising the inner or middle of the eyebrows.
- Surprise can be seen when the eyebrows arch, the eyes widen to reveal more white areas, and the jaw opens slightly.
- Fear is shown by raising the eyebrows, when the eyes open after closing or squinting, and when the mouth opens slightly.
- Disgust is shown when the upper lip is raised, the bridge of the nose is wrinkled and the cheeks are raised.
- Anger is shown when the eyebrows are lowered, the lips are tightly closed, and the eyes are wide.
Step 3. Recognize the meaning of eye movements
Many believe that the eyes are the windows to the soul. This belief has prompted many psychologists and cognitive researchers to investigate whether involuntary eye movements do hold meaning. The results show that our eyes always make predictable movements when someone is processing a thought or question. Unfortunately, in this regard, the notion that you can tell someone to lie just by eye movement is a myth. Here are the facts we know for sure:
- Eye movement in any direction will increase when a person tries to remember information.
- Eye movements stop when something catches our attention. We also tend to close and/or look away when we think about something, such as thinking about the answer to a question. The eyes will stop moving when we try to get rid of distractions and concentrate or focus on something.
- The eyes move from left to right (or vice versa) and more quickly when we are trying to solve a problem or remember information. The heavier the problem / question / question, the more active our eyes move.
- The eyes blink at a normal rate of 6-8 times per minute. When a person is stressed, that number goes up dramatically.
- Raised eyebrows indicate not only fear but also genuine interest in a particular topic. Wrinkled brows indicate confusion.
Step 4. Watch how the person's mouth moves
Experts say that the movement of the mouth reveals a lot about how a person feels. Pursing the lips, for example, is a sign of anger. Happiness, as already mentioned, is shown when the corners of the mouth curve upwards. However, experts have also found that each smile has a different meaning.
- A natural and spontaneous smile appears gradually, progresses quickly and is shown repeatedly.
- Genuine pleasure is expressed by a series of short “quick” smiles and wrinkles at the corners of the eyes.
- A fake smile is 10 times as wide as a real, spontaneous smile. This kind of smile also appears suddenly, lasts longer than the original smile, then disappears suddenly.
Step 5. Watch the movement of the head
Someone will tilt their head when actively listening to a topic that interests them. Nodding your head indicates your interest in a topic and wants the other person to continue talking. A moving hand stroking the forehead or ear canal indicates someone is feeling uncomfortable, nervous or vulnerable in certain conversations.
Step 6. Pay attention to the movement of the hands and arms
People tend to move their hands and arms more when speaking or answering questions. People also touch their own hands and arms, as well as others, when answering intimate questions or when they feel physically close to the other person.
- Hiding your hands, such as in your pockets or behind your back, indicates dishonesty.
- Crossing your arms doesn't always mean you're angry. It can also mean a defensive posture, or that you don't feel comfortable with other people.
Step 7. Pay attention to posture and body movements
A body leaning toward the other person is a sign of interest and a relaxed attitude. There is a radiating friendliness. But leaning too close can be seen as a signal of domination and violence. Facing each other while standing indicates respect for each other.
- Adopting postures imitating others tends to increase group or interpersonal closeness. This body language tells you that you are open to their thoughts.
- Standing with your feet wide apart signifies the classic stance of a person in a position of power or dominance.
- A slouched posture indicates boredom, isolation or feelings of shame.
- A firm posture implies confidence, but it also conveys violence or honesty.
Method 2 of 4: Practicing Listening Sensitivity
Step 1. Relax and be aware of what you hear
Studies show that speaking increases a person's blood pressure, and vice versa when we listen. Listening relaxes us, thus enabling us to pay attention to our surroundings (and all that surrounds us). Sensitive listening is more than just listening, as it consists of focusing on listening to the other person speak, thinking about what was said, and then giving your opinion.
- This activity also requires you to think about what the other person is thinking and how that person behaves when he or she speaks.
- This clearly demands focus and full attention and mental presence in the ongoing conversation, by being aware of all the other's clues, to then provide relevant input in the discussion.
Step 2. Remember that listening demands interpretation
The need to interpret information limits people's ability to understand the meaning of messages. This interpretation is often dictated by one's life experiences and, therefore, is limited by those experiences.
This gives a lot of room to understand what the other person really means
Step 3. Mastering Hearing Sensitivity
Listening is not an unconscious activity or an automatic response to hearing other people's words. This activity involves a conscious effort by yourself and must be practiced. The most important thing is how much respect you have for the speaker as a human being who deserves to be heard. An effective listener will affirm and strengthen others. This enhances the relationship and often leads to further, direct, detailed discussions in the future. Here are some tips for becoming a more effective listener.
- Focus your attention, remove any distractions and listen carefully to what the other person has to say. You cannot gauge the logic of the statement or the original intention of the other person if you are not focused.
- Respond to what is being said so that the other person feels heard and believes that you really understand what is being said. This feedback also allows you to get rid of any misunderstandings in the process of understanding the conversation.
- Don't interrupt when you want to give feedback. Wait until there is a reasonable pause in the conversation and a signal from the other person, such as if he says, "Does that make sense?"
- Ask questions at the right time to provoke what the other person wouldn't say if they weren't provoked.
- Pay attention to the behavior and tone of the other person, and what that might mean. Consider the context in the message and watch what is implied. Meaning is not always expressed openly.
- Don't fill the silence just because you want to avoid silence. Give the other person time to think about what to say.
- Be open to receiving messages you don't agree with (e.g., accusing comments and opposing views). Allow the other person to fully explain themselves.
- Try to understand and interpret the meaning of the message through all the signs you catch during your observations and based on your own experience.
- Make a conscious and active effort to remember what was said. Storing information is essential in assessing its relevance to other aspects of the conversation – at the moment. This is also necessary when processing information at other times, which alone can change your perception and handling of the situation.
Step 4. Avoid obstructions that prevent sensitive hearing
Try not to ask "why" questions as this will make people defensive. Avoid advising people about what you think should be done, unless they are asked to. Don't be quick to give false beliefs, such as, "Don't worry about it." This can give the impression that you are not really listening or taking the conversation seriously.
Step 5. Practice listening in other areas of your life
Listen to the sounds around you and see how they feel. Take note of when you are no longer listening, then stop, close your eyes, relax and focus your mind. The harder you do this, the more aware you will be of the world around you. It will also help detect strange, unusual, as well as pleasant sounds, and become more perceptive or sensitive to their meaning, as well as sensitivity to the situations that accompany these sounds.
Method 3 of 4: Trust Your Intuition
Step 1. Understand intuition and its role in your life
At some point in life, most people must have experienced what is called a "motion of the heart". A feeling that seemed to arise from nowhere, but was very clear. Impulsivity makes people use the senses in various ways, including making someone feel and know certain things just like that, without logical explanation. And sometimes, these feelings drive people to do things they wouldn't normally do.
- Leading psychotherapist Carl Jung says that everyone uses their intuition as one of the four ways we function in life. The other three functions are feeling, thinking and using the senses. This makes intuition so clear and undefined by others.
- While many people dismiss intuition as impossible or simply luck, scientists are now saying that intuition is a real ability that has been verified in the laboratory and based on brain scans.
Step 2. Find the traits of an intuitive person
Experts say that everyone is born with intuition, but not everyone is open to believing this or willing to listen to it. Some people are born more intuitive than others. Maybe because they were born with high consciousness. It may also be because they are full of witnessing their own intuition at work in their lives. And perhaps also because-along the course of life, they learn to note and pick up on subtle cues from other people and the environment.
- Often people who are highly intuitive are also people who are human-focused. They are easier to catch people's feelings.
- Such people, in orientation are usually more emotional than analytical.
- They often make decisions quickly and efficiently. They are able to do this because they use past experiences and emotions as a guide.
- Women are often more intuitive than men. This may be the result of an evolutionary process that has made them more aware of human-to-human responses and social stimuli.
- There is also some evidence that some people are able to go beyond normal humans in this regard. There are documentations of people being able to know events that occurred far away, even though they themselves knew nothing about these events and could not explain how they came to know.
Step 3. Recognize some of the signs
Scientific studies show that highly intuitive people experience changes in heart rate and sweaty palms when faced with dishonesty. They believe that this is a stress response in the subconscious knowing or suspecting that they are being cheated. This indicates that when our instincts work, they cause physical sensations. Our minds do catch on, but lose quickly.
Step 4. Learn to be more intuitive
While instincts vary, there are things you can do to become more intuitive if you're willing to practice and have an open mind. The most basic way is to calm the mind so that it is able to a) hear inner voices, and b) learn to be more aware of the surrounding environment and the people in it.
- Pay attention to sensations that appear suddenly and cannot be explained logically. The amygdala in our brain, which gives off a “fight or flight” instinct, is capable of activating, processing and responding to various signs and information before we are fully aware that they exist. The amygdala can also process images (and initiate our response to them) that pass before our eyes so quickly that we can't see them.
- Experts believe that this ability stems from the need for our ancestors to be able to quickly gather and process information in an attempt to survive.
- Increase deep sleep or REM. During REM (Rapid Eye Movement – sleep so deep that the eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids), our brain solves problems, connects pieces of information and connects with emotions.
- Before you go to bed, write down your problems or worries. Think for a moment, then let your brain come up with an intuitive solution to solving it during deep or REM sleep.
- Divert your conscious mind so that the intuitive mind has a chance to work. Research shows that our intuitive mind continues to process information, even when we're not consciously paying attention to it.
- In fact, many of the decisions a person makes when his or her attention is distracted are recorded to give accurate results. If you have a problem, think about the options. Then stop and concentrate on other things. Do the first solution that comes to your mind.
Step 5. Check instinctual decisions against the facts
A growing body of scientific evidence supports the wisdom of many intuition-based decisions. Issues such as extreme levels of stress can distort intuitive thought processes and, ultimately leading to poor decision making. Instinctive reactions are not always correct. The smart approach is to listen to intuition while being evaluated against the evidence.
Also take your emotions into account. Is it so strong when that intuition comes?
Method 4 of 4: Practicing Meditation
Step 1. Meditate to increase perception
Buddhists have practiced meditation for more than 2500 years. Today, about 10% of Americans also meditate. A number of studies have shown that meditation can significantly improve perception. Participants in one scientific study were able to detect small visual variations, and their attention spans were also very long, beyond normal limits. Other participants showed that parts of the brain associated with a) sensitivity to perceive signals from the body, and b) sensory processing, had increased gray matter, if a person meditated regularly.
- Gray matter is a kind of network in the Central Nervous System that processes information and triggers sensory responses to that information.
- It is believed that meditating can create more neural connections in the frontal cortex or prefrontal cortex. This part processes the information captured by the five senses, makes rational decisions and regulates the amygdala.
- Teach yourself to relax, let the bad things out, and be more receptive – rather than reactive – to the point of developing the ability to accept any cues around you.
Step 2. Learn the types of meditation
Meditation is an umbrella term for the various ways you can achieve a relaxed state. Each type of meditation has its own meditative process. Here are some of the most commonly practiced types of meditation.
- Guided Meditation is led by a teacher, therapist or mentor who verbally guides you through visualizing images of people, places, things and experiences that relax you.
- Mantra meditation involves repeating certain words, thoughts or phrases that calm the mind and prevent distraction.
- Mindfulness Meditation requires you to focus on the moment that is being lived, and the breath. Watch your thoughts and emotions without judging them harshly.
- Qi gong combines meditation, physical movement, breathing exercises and relaxation to restore balance to thinking.
- Tai chi is a form of Chinese martial art, but with slow movements and postures. You are asked to focus on deep breathing.
- Transcendent Meditation involves the silent repetition of a personal mantra – be it a word, sound or phrase – to bring the body into a state of deep relaxation. Here your mind is trying to achieve inner peace.
- Yoga is a practice in which you perform a series of postures and breathing exercises to create a more flexible body and a calm mind. From one pose to another requires concentration and balance. Hence, it is emphasized to focus only on the present moment – not the past and/or future.
Step 3. Find a way to practice every day
You can practice meditation on your own at any time of the day. No need for formal classes. The length of the meditation time is not important, the main thing is to do it regularly, and until the body reaches a point of relaxation.
- Breathe deeply and slowly through your nose. Concentrate on the feeling and listen to the sound of the breath as it is inhaled and exhaled. If the mind is wandering all over the place, focus back on the breath.
- Scan your whole body and be aware of every sensation you feel. Focus on different parts of the body. Combine this with breathing exercises to relax every part of the body.
- Create your own spell and repeat it throughout the day.
- Walk slowly, everywhere, and focus solely on the movement of the legs and feet. Repeat the action words in your mind, such as “lift” or “move,” as your feet go one step at a time.
- Pray verbally or in writing in your own words or written by someone else.
- Read a poem or book that you consider sacred, then ponder the meaning of what you read. You can also listen to music or certain words that inspire or relax you. Afterward, write down your reflection or discuss it with someone else, if you prefer.
- Focus on a sacred object or creature and generate thoughts of love, compassion and gratitude. You can also close your eyes and imagine the object or creature.
