Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Reading Body Language
• Method 2 of 4: Developing receptive hearing
• Method 3 of 4: Trust Your Intuition
• Method 4 of 4: Meditation

Perception is how we understand and interpret the information we perceive. Quite often, this word also means things that we feel, but cannot explain. To increase your receptivity, you must learn to read body language, trust your intuition, be an attentive listener, and practice meditation.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Reading Body Language

1. 1 Learn body language. 90% of human communication is non-verbal. Human body language can be both arbitrary and involuntary, and it is also embedded in the human genotype and is acquired.Body language is a powerful indicator of a person's feelings, but it is different in every culture. This article describes the body language indicators that belong to Western cultures.
2. 2 Distinguish six facial expressions. Psychologists have classified six involuntary facial expressions that they consider to be nearly universal in every culture. These include happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust, and anger. They all have their own signs by which one can understand how a person feels. But do not forget that they only last a moment, and some people also hide them well.
   • Happiness can be recognized by the raised or lowered corners of the mouth.
   • Sadness is displayed on the face along the lowered corners of the mouth and along the raised inner corners of the eyebrows.
   • Surprise is characterized by raised eyebrows, wide-open eyes, and a slightly drooping jaw.
   • Fear is revealed through raised eyebrows, open eyes after they have been closed or narrowed, and also through a slightly open mouth.
   • Disgust is displayed on the face along the raised upper lip, on the wrinkled bridge of the nose and on the raised cheeks.
   • Anger manifests itself on the face through drooping eyebrows, pursed lips, and protruding eyes.
3. 3 Learn to distinguish between eye movements. Many believe that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. This belief has led many psychologists and cognitive researchers to understand whether our involuntary eye movements matter. Research has shown that when a person contemplates a thought or question, their eyes make predictable movements. However, the idea that you can tell whether a person is lying or not by looking in the direction of your eyes is just a myth. Here's what we know for sure:
   • Eye movements in any direction increase when a person tries to remember information.
   • Eye movement stops when something grabs our attention. We also avert our eyes when we think about something, for example, over the answer to a question. Our eyes also stop when we try to focus.
   • The eyes move from left to right (or vice versa) faster when we solve a problem, ponder or try to remember something. And the more difficult the task, the more our eyes move.
   • Usually a person blinks 6-8 times a minute. When a person is under stress, this number increases significantly.
   • Raised eyebrows not only indicate fear, but are also a sign of genuine interest in a topic. Frowning brows indicate confusion.
4. 4 Pay attention to the movement of the mouth. The researchers say that mouth movement is very helpful in determining how a person is feeling. For example, pursed lips are a sign of anger. As mentioned earlier, happiness is displayed on the face by the raised corners of the mouth. However, researchers have noticed that different smiles have different meanings.
   • Natural, involuntary smiles appear gradually, last for a moment, and reappear.
   • Sincere joy is expressed in a series of short “flashes” of a smile, with wrinkles appearing in the corners of the eyes.
   • A fake smile lasts about 10 times longer than a genuine smile. It appears suddenly, lasts longer, and then disappears abruptly.
5. 5 Observe the movement of your head. A person tilts his head when he attentively listens to a topic of interest. Head nodding indicates that the topic interests you and that you want the other person to keep talking. Rubbing the forehead or earlobes indicates that the person is feeling uncomfortable, nervous, or vulnerable.
6. 6 Watch your hand movements. When a person speaks or answers a question, he begins to move his arms more than usual. They are also more likely to touch things or other people when answering a personal question or when they are close to each other.
   • Hiding hands, for example, in pockets or behind the back, may indicate deception.
   • Crossing arms does not necessarily indicate anger; sometimes this movement can be interpreted as a defensive posture. It can also mean that you feel uncomfortable around this person.
7. 7 Pay attention to body posture and other movements. Leaning towards the other person indicates relaxation and interest. There are also friendly feelings. On the other hand, leaning too close can be interpreted as a gesture of hostility or dominance. Leaning towards the other person when both of you are standing signals respect. It is also often a sign of reverence.
   • Repetition of another person's posture indicates an increase in group or interpersonal communication. You seem to be saying that you are open to their opinion.
   • The wide-legged stance is a traditional posture for people in power or those in a dominant position in society.
   • Slouching indicates boredom, alienation, or shame.
   • An upright body position indicates confidence, but it can also exude hostility or a sense of righteousness.

Method 2 of 4: Developing receptive hearing

1. 1 Relax and listen to the sounds around you. Research shows that talking increases a person's blood pressure. Hearing lowers it. Listening relaxes us and allows us to pay attention to our environment (and those in it). Receptive listening is more than active listening. With active listening, a person focuses on the other person, on what he is saying, while sharing his thoughts.
   • You also need to think about what the other person is thinking and how they behave during the conversation.
   • It also requires attention and presence in the conversation. To do this, you must pay attention to the other person's remarks and leave comments that are relevant to the discussion.
2. 2 Remember that listening needs interpretation. The need to interpret the information received limits people and their ability to understand the meaning of the information received. These interpretations are often dictated by a person's life experience, so they are also limited to it.
   • Because of this, there is a high likelihood of misunderstanding.
3. 3 Learn receptive listening. Hearing is not a reflexive, involuntary response to another person's words. It involves a conscious effort on your part and needs practice. Above all, you must show respect for the speaker who deserves to be heard. An effective listener recognizes the importance of others. By doing so, it improves the relationship and often leads to future frank and more detailed discussions. Here are some tips to help you become a more effective listener:
   • Focus your attention, do not get distracted, and listen carefully to what is being told to you. You will not be able to appreciate the logic of a statement or the speaker's true intentions if you are unfocused.
   • Respond to what is said so that the speaker feels heard and believes that you understood everything. This response will also help clear up any misunderstandings.
   • Don't interrupt the person when you want to comment. Wait for a pause in the conversation or the speaker's reply, for example: "Is everything clear?"
   • Ask questions at the right time to get information out of him that he would not otherwise have said.
   • Pay attention to the speaker's manner and tone, as well as their meaning. Consider the context in which the message will be delivered and watch out for what was not said. The meaning does not always lie on the surface.
   • Don't fill the silence just to avoid it. Give the person time to think about what has been said and what else he wants to say.
   • Be open to statements that you disagree with (for example, biased comments or a different point of view). Allow the person to express themselves fully.
   • Based on your experiences and the cues you paid attention to, try to understand and interpret the meaning of what was said.
   • Make a conscious and active effort to remember what was said. Retention of information is necessary to assess communication in relation to other aspects of the conversation. It is also necessary for future reflection on the information, which in itself can change your perception and how you deal with situations like this.
4. 4 Avoid barriers that interfere with receptive listening. Try not to ask “why” questions, as they cause people to defend themselves. Try not to advise the other person what you think should be done if you are not asked to. Don't make quick reassurances like "don't worry about it." This may indicate that you were not listening carefully or that you are not taking the conversation seriously.
5. 5 Practice receptive listening in other aspects of your life. Listen to the sounds around you and be aware of how you feel. The moment you stop noticing sounds around you, stop, close your eyes, relax, and focus. The more often you do this, the better you will get to know the world around you. It will also help you recognize strange, unusual and pleasant sounds and determine their meaning and situations that may accompany them.

Method 3 of 4: Trust Your Intuition

1. 1 Understand the importance of intuition and its role in your life. Most people have a gut feeling at some point in their lives. It seems to come from some distant place. This instinct makes people feel differently. It also makes a person feel and know things that cannot be explained logically. And sometimes it encourages a person to do something that under other circumstances he would never have done.
   • The famous psychiatrist Carl Jung argued that intuition is one of the four basic psychological functions of a person. The other three are feeling, thinking, and sensing. Thanks to this, intuition is not determined by other functions, which makes it different from them.
   • Although many reject intuition and consider it stupid or just luck, scientists say that this is a very real ability, which was determined in laboratory conditions through brain scans.
2. 2 Reveal your intuitive personality traits. Researchers claim that everyone is born with intuition, but not everyone believes in it and is ready to listen to it. They also claim that some people are more intuitive than others. This may be due to the fact that some people are born with heightened perceptions. This may be due to the fact that they saw how intuition helped them in their life, or they simply learned to notice and use those subtle signals that come from other people and the environment.
   • Quite often, those who have good intuition are very attentive to people. It is much easier for them to understand how the other person is feeling.
   • Most often, they do not have an analytical mindset, but an empathic one.
   • They often make decisions quickly and efficiently. They are capable of this thanks to their past experience and their emotions, which help them in making this or that decision.
   • Women have a stronger intuition than men. This may be the result of an evolutionary process that has made women more receptive to human responses and social stimuli.
   • There are also signs that some people are beyond what we think is real. There have been documented cases when people knew about events that happened very far away, despite the fact that before that they did not know anything about what happened and could not explain how they knew it.
3. 3 Recognize some of the signs. Scientific studies have shown that people with well-developed intuitions have a faster heart rate and sweat on their palms when they are lied to.Scientists believe that this is a response to stress caused by the fact that, on a subconscious level, they know or suspect that they are being deceived. This indicates that our instincts take their toll and cause a physical sensation. And after instincts, the mind is activated.
4. 4 Learn to trust your intuition. While there are different kinds of intuition, there are methods that you can use to strengthen your intuition, but this requires practice and an open view of things. First of all, you must calm your mind in order to a) listen to your inner voice and b) learn to be more attentive to your environment and to the people in it.
   • Pay attention to sensations that come out of nowhere and have no logical explanation. The amygdala in our brains, which forms the fight-or-flight response, is able to activate, process and respond to signals and other information before we consciously accept their existence. It is also capable of analyzing images passing by our eyes (and initiating our reactions to them) so quickly that we ourselves will not really see anything.
   • Researchers believe that this trait was passed down to us from our ancestors, namely because of the need to quickly collect and evaluate information in order to survive.
   • REM sleep phase. During this phase, our brain solves problems, connects pieces of information, and is most in tune with emotions.
   • Before you go to bed, write down the problem or concern you have. Think about it a bit, and then let your brain find an intuitive solution during REM sleep.
   • Distract the conscious mind so that the intuitive mind can accomplish its task. Research shows that the intuitive mind processes information even when we don't consciously pay attention to it.
   • Moreover, it has been demonstrated that decisions made by a person when they are distracted were more likely to be correct. If you have a problem, weigh your options. Then stop and focus on something else. Choose the first solution that comes to you.
5. 5 Compare your gut decisions versus facts. A growing body of scientific evidence supports many intuitive decisions. However, incredible grief can distort this intuitive process and lead to erroneous decisions. The gut is not always accurate. You can listen to it, but do not forget to compare it with the available facts.
   • Also consider your emotions. Were they at their peak when you got your gut feeling?

Method 4 of 4: Meditation

1. 1 Meditate to improve your perception. Buddhists have been practicing meditation for over 2,500 years. Nowadays, a fairly large part of the population is engaged in meditation. There have been several studies that have shown that meditation can significantly improve perception. Participants in one experiment were able to discern small visual differences. They also had unusually long attention spans. Another experiment showed that areas of the brain responsible for response to body signals and sensory processing increased the amount of gray matter if a person meditated regularly.
   • Gray matter is a type of tissue in the central nervous system that processes information and activates sensory responses to it.
   • Meditation is thought to make more neural connections in the prefrontal cortex. This area processes sensory information, is responsible for decision making and controls the functioning of the amygdala.
   • Learning how to relax, disconnect from the world around you, and take in every moment will improve your ability to notice the signals around you.
2. 2 Learn about the different types of meditation. Meditation is a generalized concept of methods through which you can achieve a relaxed state.Different types of meditation have different meditation processes. The following are the most common types of meditation:
   • Guided meditation is conducted under the supervision of an instructor, doctor, or mentor who asks you to imagine people, places, things, or events that will relax you.
   • Mantra meditation is about repeating soothing words or phrases to keep distracting thoughts from entering your mind.
   • Clear mind meditation requires you to focus on the present and on your breathing. Reveal your thoughts and emotions, but don't be too judgmental.
   • Qigong combines mediation, movement, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to restore balance in your mind.
   • Tai Chi is a form of Chinese martial art in which movements and postures are performed slowly. While doing this, you also need to focus on deep breathing.
   • Transcendental meditation involves quietly repeating a personal mantra (words, sounds, or phrases) to put your mind into a state of deep relaxation. This is where your mind can find inner peace.
   • Yoga is the art of performing a series of positions and breathing exercises to create a more flexible body and a calm mind. Moving from one pose to another requires concentration and balance. Therefore, it is so important to think only about the present moment.
3. 3 Try to meditate daily. You can do the meditation yourself at any time of the day. There is no need to attend classes for this. The duration of the meditation is not as important as doing it regularly and getting into a state of relaxation.
   • Breathe deeply and slowly through your nose. As you inhale and exhale, focus on the sensations and sounds. When your mind starts to wander, focus on your breathing again.
   • Examine your body and all the senses that you are experiencing. Focus your attention on different parts of your body. Combine this with breathing exercises to relax every part of your body.
   • Write your own mantra and repeat it throughout the day.
   • Walk slowly and concentrate on the movement of your legs. As you put one foot in front of the other, repeat the action words, such as "lift" or "place", in your head.
   • Pray spoken or written in your own words or in words written by someone else.
   • Read poems or books that are sacred to you, and then think about the meaning of what you read. You can also listen to inspiring and relaxing music or speech. Then write down your thoughts or discuss them with someone.
   • Concentrate on some sacred object and let loving, compassionate, and grateful thoughts arise in your head. You can also close your eyes and visualize an object or person.